Memories of Shiro chan
by halliegirl
Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo’s memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It’s difficult not knowing who you are. “Shiro-chan, I can’t remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."
1. Truth and Regret

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 1: Truth and Regret**

"I can't believe you never told me before, Rangiku-san," Momo Hinamori whispered, an anguished gaze fixed on her childhood friend, who lay recovering from his wounds in yet another battle with the arrancar. "Why didn't you… why didn't Hitsugaya-kun tell me?"

Lieutenant Matsumoto sighed. "I can't speak completely for my captain, but I know some of it had to do with how hard you took Aizen's betrayal. You still have difficulty. Why else would you still refer to that traitor as your captain?"

"I-it's not like that!" Momo stammered. "It's habit, I swear! I've been trying to break it. It's been hard, yes, but if I'd known what happened to Hitsugaya-kun, I would have had an easier time realizing just how horrible the things he's been doing are."

"Also, you know Hitsugaya-taicho. He didn't want you to worry about him, especially since you spent all that time practically dead to the world. He wanted you to get well. That's all he's ever wanted for you, is for you to be safe and happy." Rangiku turned away to face the tenth squad captain.

The younger girl followed her gaze and observed that healer girl, Orihime, that was her name, as she'd come over yet again to use her healing arts on her childhood friend. Feeling a stab of guilt, she stood quickly and turned on her heels. "I think… I'm gonna go get some fresh air, if that's all right. Rangiku-san…"

"Sure, Hinamori-chan. We'll just be here waiting, so hurry back, okay? Don't want to worry Taicho when he wakes up, do you?" She smiled knowingly at the girl.

Nodding, but keeping her face turned away from Rangiku, Momo brushed a tear away. "Yeah, I'll be back," she said softly, disappearing into the brush. As she walked, she allowed the tears to fall, and finally, she collapsed to her knees with a sob. "Oh, Shiro-chan… what have I done? You should never have fought Aizen-tai… _Aizen_… for anything! Least of all me! It was my own fault! And I almost killed you, too, because of it. I even attacked you, my best friend of all people! For _him!_ Why was I so stupid? And why did you forgive me for all of that? Especially when I still can't forgive myself!" She was unable to speak anymore and simply wept under the moonlight. It was all her fault. She shouldn't have believed Aizen. She should have known he was evil. She should never have attacked Toshiro. She should have known… And because of her stupidity, Toshiro had almost died. In fact, he was still suffering because of her. As were countless others. Then, a thought occurred to Hinamori. _I can go confront Aizen myself! It started with me, and it should end with me. Even if I die… If I can at least take him with me, that'll be enough._ She nodded, making her mind up. Using shunpo, she sped away from the encampment of shinigami stationed outside of Aizen's fortress. _I must do this! _She clutched Tobiume's hilt tightly in her hand, ready to draw the zanpakuto at any time if needed. Racing away, towards the fortress where she knew she would meet her fate.

However, in her distracted state, she didn't realize that someone had seen her leave. The fellow shinigami chose to report her disappearing rather than try to stop her. After all, he was no match for a vice-captain. He wasn't even a seated officer. Perhaps he could find someone stronger to stop the 5th Squad vice-captain before she made a grave error. Or perhaps he was already too late. He could at least try, so that's what he chose to do.

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"Are you sure?" The first thing Toshiro Hitsugaya heard was Matsumoto's alarmed voice, which in turn caused him to become uneasy, rightfully so. She wasn't normally panicky about much. So a cause to concern her was serious indeed. But why was she so upset? He lay there, feeling the affects of Inoue's reiatsu wearing off on him. Thanks to her unique powers, he had made a full recovery in record time.

"Yes, she's gone. And I'm sure that it was the 5th Squad fukutaicho." At this, his aqua eyes shot open and he sat up, ignoring the stiff feeling in his shoulder.

He reached out desperately, searching for Hinamori's unique spiritual energy. He ignored Matsumoto's grunt of surprise at his sudden action and continued his search. Finally, he locked on to her faint signature energy, worry filling him at how weak it was. She was far away. Much too far away for Hitsugaya's comfort. He finally realized that his lieutenant was leaning in and asking about his wellbeing. "I'm fine," he finally answered. "But we need to find her, or she _won't _be."

"Oy, Toshiro!" Ichigo Kurosaki called. "I heard what's going on. Someone's run off to that bastard's fortress, and we need to get her back, right? Let's get going! I've already got everyone together."

The 10th Squad captain regarded the carrot-top with mild annoyance. "Kurosaki, yes. Let's go. And it's Hitsugaya-_taicho _to you."

"Whatever," Ichigo shrugged, brushing off the captain's scolding yet again.

"Taicho?" Matsumoto murmured.

"Let's get going," Captain Hitsugaya commanded.

And so, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji set out, leaving the others to protect the rest of the camp. They made their way quickly through the brush of the forest. The captain raced ahead of the others; he'd always been quicker on his feet. But no one felt the need to save Hinamori more than Hitsugaya himself as well, so he pushed his speed to the limit, praying to whatever deity may be listening that she would be all right until he got there. He released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in when the fortress came into view. _Just a little further, Hinamori, _he thought. _Be safe… _His eyes flashed dangerously when he noticed some arrancar approaching. He didn't have the time to waste on those small fry right now! He had to find Hinamori. Whatever poor soul got in his way on this mission would find themselves in a powerful ice prison for eternity. Friend or foe alike. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" He shouted, releasing his zanpakuto and sending a wave of ice down upon his unlucky enemies.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, leave this to Kuchiki-san and I!" His vice-captain called over to him. You, Kurosaki-kun, and Abarai-kun go on ahead!"

Rukia nodded her consent. "Good luck!" She then turned to face them. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" She shouted, readying for battle.

"Growl, Haineko!" Matsumoto called upon her own.

"Yes." Without further hesitation, Toshiro took off once again, Renji and Ichigo not far behind.

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Momo figured that she must have lucked out. So far, not one arrancar had attacked her. Her skin crawled once she set foot into the fortress, however. She soon found out why. She jumped, feeling someone breathe over her shoulder. "Y-you…"

Gin Ichimaru grinned his fox-like grin. "Why, hello, my dear 'lil Momo-chan. I guess he was right. You'd come after all 'n we wouldn't hafta look for ya."

She was hit with a sickening sense of dread and déjà vu. "Where is Aizen?"

"Ah, right. This way, 'lil one," he replied, walking down the hallway, expecting her to follow.

Shakily, Momo obeyed. She was afraid. She was terrified, actually. Before, she thought that she had steeled herself to not fear death, but, oh, she was so wrong. _Shiro-chan… I'm scared… please. I'm sorry for always being such a burden… But I'm so afraid. Shiro-chan, please… please help me! _She cried out desperately in her mind. She knew, however that Toshiro wasn't there. He was still back at camp, recovering from grievous wounds, and wasn't even conscious, much less nearby. Sensing from just Ichimaru's reiatsu, Momo knew she had no chance. She was going to die. She knew it.

"Ah, Momo, my former fukutaicho. I'm very happy to see you survived!" Aizen sat up in his throne chair, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "_Very _happy. You see, I need someone to test this out on. There supposedly is a way that I can create something called a Boundary Key to transcend time and space and become powerful enough to crush my enemies and to create the King's Key myself, and all that's needed is for a shinigami to sacrifice themselves." He stood and approached Hinamori, who shrunk away. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. You're going to live, Momo…" Aizen reached out and patted her head, the way he always had done before and he smiled that same fake smile when Momo cringed and pulled away. "What I need is you, Momo. Your very essence. Your soul's _memories._"

"Memories?" Momo echoed softly.

"Yes, my dear Momo. I want to take all of those memories and use them to create the key. I can't do it to myself, or Ichimaru or Tousen, and the arrancar are unable to provide me with what I need. Therefore, you are the perfect solution. You've been so useful to me in the past."

She pulled away and snarled. "Never! Prepare to die, Aizen! This is for what you did to Hitsugaya-kun!" She pulled her sword on him and immediately released it. "Hajike, Tobiume!" Releasing the pent up anger from her sword, it surrounded Aizen in a powerful blast. She lunged forward, happy to feel her sword connect with something… when she looked up and realized that what her sword had connected with was nothing, but Aizen's hand.

He had only one hand on her sword, blocking it, and frowned at her. "You're making this more difficult than it has to be, Momo, you know that." With a simple move, he knocked Tobiume from Momo's grasp, and used cero to knock her back into the wall. "Now, Momo, give me the power to create the key! Give me your memories!"

"N-no, Shiro-chan… please…" Tears streamed down Momo's face. "Please, forgive me… Shiro-chan!" A light surrounded her, and her vision started to blur, thoughts going hazy. The last thing Hinamori heard before everything faded away was the voice of Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"AIZEN! Let Hinamori go!" Toshiro all but screamed in fury. His reiatsu level sky rocketed and he growled, "_Bankai_." Icy wings soon spread across his shoulders and he lunged for Aizen.

The traitor sighed. "Haven't we already been through this before, Toshiro-kun? Do you remember last time?"

Hitsugaya passed Aizen, however, his sole objective revealed. He was lunging for his childhood friend. "Hinamori!"

Momentarily distracted by the 10th Squad captain, Aizen was nearly taken by surprise by Ichigo and Renji attacking him at once, both already in their bankai forms. He very easily regained his composure and knocked them both back. "Oh, it's all right. I'll even let you all go," Aizen said. "Take Momo with you, Toshiro-kun. I have no further use for her seeing as I already have what I want."

Toshiro was seeing red. "You damn BASTARD!" He set Momo down and made a move to attack only to be blocked by Renji.

"Come on, Taicho. We got what we came for, right? Hinamori is with us now, so let's leave. We won't be able to take them on as we are, you know that. Hinamori's safety comes first… right?"

Ichigo had already moved to pick up the girl. "Let's go, Toshiro." He disappeared in a flash along with Hinamori.

"This isn't over, Aizen," Hitsugaya snarled. "Not by a long shot. I will kill you, make no mistake." He was barely aware of Renji pulling him away.

When they all had gone, Gin Ichimaru looked to Aizen. "Was it wise to let 'em go?" He asked.

"They can do nothing. I have the Boundary Key now, so struggle as they might, they will fail. Besides, I let them live out of entertainment. They never cease to amuse me, especially watching the way that little boy genius agonizes over that foolish girl. If I hadn't let him live, I would never have seen the look on his face when he realizes that his beloved Momo is nothing more than an empty shell." He gathered the light up of Momo's life energy and sneered. "Here it is, the Boundary Key! Soon enough, I will have the King's Key." His evil smirk faded into a scowl, however when the item stopped its glowing, a piece of the key missing. "What is this? That troublesome girl! It would seem that she still has some of her memories. We will have to find her to complete the Key." His fist smashed into the wall. "So close! Fine… If that's how it is, then we will get Momo back, and force her to finish."

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_A light… She could feel this feeling, fading… Between truth and regrets. She had found the truth, and regretted it as well… But that feeling was going away with the light, replaced by nothingness and darkness. "What is this? Where am I?" The girl with dark hair looked around her but all she could see was darkness. "Who am I? Why do I exist? Why am I alone?"_

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She bolted upright with a frightened cry. Holding her hand to her head, rubbing her forehead, trying to rub away any part of the nightmare from her thoughts.

"It's about time you woke up, Bed Wetter," a voice startled her. "If you pull any more stunts like that, I'm going to start chaining you to me."

She stared blankly at him for awhile, causing him to worry until she whispered. "Shiro-chan?"

"Baka! Don't call me that! It's Hitsugaya-taicho!" He argued, secretly relieved that she seemed to be okay.

She stared down at her hands. "Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't know how to say this, but… something's wrong, isn't it?" Truth be told, something _was _wrong. She grasped for her surroundings, for her identity, for anything, but the only familiarity she could find was by looking into her friend's eyes. "Something _is _wrong…"

His face turned serious. "What is it, Hinamori? What's wrong?" Toshiro asked worriedly.

Blankly, she looked at him as he said the unfamiliar name. "I'm confused, Shiro-chan… Who is Hinamori?"

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho- _what?_! Don't be stupid, Momo, and quit playing games!" Hitsugaya hissed at her, a scowl on his face.

His friend shrunk back and squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling. "I'm so confused, Hitsugaya-kun! Please help me!" She cried, jumping to her feet in a rush. "Who is Momo?! Who is Hinamori? Why don't I know?! Why can't I understand?" She wailed miserably. "Just who am I?!"

Captain Hitsugaya swallowed hard as he watched the distraught girl in front of him. "Momo," he finally said gently, "calm down. It's okay. You are Hinamori Momo." His gaze softened at her, even if he boiled with anger on the inside. _Aizen! You are going to pay for this if it's the last thing I do! _

"Shiro-chan! What should I do?! Why can't I…" The poor girl couldn't speak anymore as sobs overtook her. She was so afraid. All of a sudden, she felt someone behind her and a fuzzy feeling danced in her head. She slumped forward, vaguely aware that Toshiro had caught her, before falling unconscious in his arms.

"Please forgive me, Hitsugaya-taicho," Captain Unohana said. "She was becoming far too distressed. Please, bring her this way, and I will take a look at her."

The white-haired captain nodded. "Lead the way, Unohana-taicho." He shifted Hinamori's weight in his arms and followed the 4th Squad captain to her squad's tent, serving as a temporary hospital for the injured during the battle with the arrancar. He set her down on the cot as instructed by Unohana. He waited patiently with arms folded, leaning against the door frame and silently regarding the captain as she checked up on his friend.

She checked the levels of her spirit energy, her reflexes, her vitals; the list went on. Finally when she was done, she looked up at the 10th Squad captain and did her best to smile. "It seems that she is physically unharmed, Hitsugaya-taicho, but there is something strange with her reiatsu level. It's as if a giant void has been left there. The energy is there, but it's different somehow. It's hers, but at the same time, it isn't. I don't know how well I can explain this but I believe that it stems from her memories, and it appears that they have been taken away from her."

"Like a memory wipe?" Hitsugaya frowned.

The woman captain shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it isn't that simple. The memories aren't being suppressed or locked away somewhere. They _aren't even there._"

His hands dropped to his sides, clenching into fists. "That can't be right. That's _impossible!_" It seemed as if hundreds of emotions battled inside of him, trying to surface. Anger at Aizen, and himself, for letting it happen. Grief, for knowing that he'd lost who Hinamori had been. Worry, for how was he going to handle Hinamori now as she was? Disbelief, because he half-expected that his friend would wake up at any moment and laugh, telling him that it was nothing more than a joke. He truly wished that it was a joke. But it wasn't. He knew that from looking into Captain Unohana's sympathetic gaze. This was _not _some silly joke. "What… what can be done?" He finally managed to say, although much quieter than he'd intended.

"She seems to remember you, Hitsugaya-taicho, so that's something to be grateful for. Maybe we can make progress with that. We need to first assess everything that she has lost, and everything that still remains. Then we can start rebuilding." She made a move to stand.

The boy prodigy didn't move from his spot. "Can we even do that, Unohana-taicho? Is it even possible?"

Not wanting to upset the boy further, she kept her answer simple and vague. It seemed much more hopeful that way. "Anything is possible." She smiled gently at him as she passed by him, making her exit. "She should awaken soon, so perhaps you should stay there with her? I'll make sure to alert you if anything comes up."

"Arigato," Toshiro answered her with his gratitude, making his way over to where Momo lay. Once they were alone, he sat down beside her, crossing his legs, his zanpakuto resting up against his shoulder. He gazed down at her now peaceful face. Looking at her this way, it was impossible to tell that anything was wrong with the girl. But he knew otherwise. He had memories of what had just transpired. _Memories…_ His vision was momentarily blurred by tears, but he fought them back. Memories were something that Momo no longer had. His thoughts were interrupted as the girl before him stirred.

"Hmm… Hitsugaya-kun?" She asked groggily, opening her eyes. "How long have I been out? What happened?"

He looked away, suddenly finding the area by the doorway very interesting. "Not long. Half hour at best. You needed it. You were pretty… worked up."

"Gomen nasai," she whispered. "I don't know what came over me. I can't remember anything, and I really am scared, Hitsugaya-kun. I don't understand why I remember you. Since I remember you, does that mean that you can tell me who I am?"

He fixed his gaze back on Hinamori after he was sure that he'd locked all of his emotions away behind his icy mask and leaned in. "I can help you on one condition, Hinamori." He said with a slight smirk.

"What's that?" She asked innocently.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho, not Hitsugaya-kun," he answered.

Blinking slowly, she sat up. "But, Hitsugaya-kun, I just know I'll forget."

The silver-haired captain sighed. "Well, you forgot yourself, so I should expect that you'll forget how to properly address me as well, right, Bed Wetter?"

"B-bed Wetter?!" Momo shrieked. "That's so mean! Why would you say that?" She blushed a crimson red. "Do I wet the bed?"

It was Hitsugaya's turn to turn pink. "Well, I… Uh… How am I supposed to know that?! It's just a name anyway!" He didn't expect his nickname for her to have such a nasty way of coming back to nail _him._

Saved from any more awkward questions, Hitsugaya noticed Inoue and Kurosaki enter the room. "Hello, Toshiro-kun," Orihime greeted with a cheery smile. "I came to see if I could help Hinamori-san at all."

"And I believe this belongs to you as well," Ichigo said, handing over a sword to Momo that she didn't recognize.

"Ah? Arigato?" Momo said, obviously confused, but accepting the sword nonetheless and setting it beside her.

"Ayame," Orihime called, kneeling beside Momo and a light from her spirit energy surrounded the confused girl.

"Any luck, Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

The girl furrowed her brow. "There was a strange reiatsu, and I got rid of it, but there also seems to be a void now, and there's nothing I can do about that. I'm sorry, Toshiro-kun…"

Ignoring the way he was being addressed for once, the captain shook his head. "No, it's okay, Inoue. Don't worry about it. You said you cleared away some ominous reiatsu? I'm certain that it will help, then."

Just as the glowing from Orihime's spiritual powers had dimmed, the sword next to Momo started to shine, and the startled girl cried out. "What's going on?!"

"Maybe it had something to do with what Inoue did?" Ichigo suggested.

Hinamori had become silent, her eyes glazed over, and as if in a trance, she reached out for the zanpakuto that lay next to her. Once she grabbed onto it, the glowing stopped, and once again, Momo fell unconscious.

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"_You've forgotten everything, haven't you? Everything about yourself, everything about me. It's unfortunate, but I seem to have forgotten as well. Those without memories will slowly die. Which is why together you and I must search for our memories."_

_The girl could hear the voice, gentle but firm, informing her of what must come to pass. "I don't understand. Who are you?"_

"_I don't know. I only know that I was by your side once, and we both knew my name. You fought with me, and I protected you. That is all I can tell you."_

_She was kneeling on the ground now, unable to support her own weight. "How do I find out?"_

_A sword appeared in her hands. "We must search for the answers, together."_

**End of chapter 1.**

**Author's note: **Well, this is the start of one of my chapter HitsuHina fan fictions. I have to warn you guys in advance that my updates will be sporadic since I have a crazy life, but I will do my best to update and not to leave people hanging for too long, and dedicate all of my updates to those who read (and especially to those who review) this!

Thank you all guys! Hope you enjoyed and see you soon! --Hallie


	2. The Missing Pieces

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A word from me first:** Holy cow! In one night I get 5 reviews! I'm not really used to that, since I've been writing my other fanfic in a not-so-popular category I guess. This pleasant surprise actually got my butt motivated into finishing chapter 2, and I figured, what the heck why not? I have today off work, and I'm not really doing anything special, so… Here it is. A special thanks to the reviewers of this chapter, KnowledgeandImagination, foofy pie, Kinaia, ploki 78, and xMidnight-Spiritx, to you and the readers I dedicate this chapter!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 2: The Missing Pieces**

_She saw him in her dream perfectly. There he lay on his cot, dressed in some torn clothing, readying himself for bed, or trying to. His eyes, the beautiful ocean color that they were, flashed in annoyance. "Aw, come on----," he snapped at someone. "Are you a chicken or what?" Someone must have spoken to him, because he answered them. "It's just a storm. Aw, man, fine, you can sleep next to me. I'll prove to you it's nothing to cry over! Anyway, if I leave you alone now, you'll just wet the bed, won't you?" He teased. "Goodnight----." With a mild frustration, she realized that his voice seemed to fade out every time he was about to say that person's name, whomever he was speaking to. She wondered why, but didn't wonder long…_

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The first thing she felt was a dull throbbing pain behind her eyes. "Ouch…" She opened her eyes and slowly sat up, rubbing at her temples.

"You know, sake helps with little aches and pains, Hinamori-chan," an extremely well-endowed woman with strawberry-blonde hair spoke, smiling devilishly as she held a bottle of liquor in one hand and two shot glasses in the other.

"Um, have we met?" Momo asked her softly, her doe-brown eyes wide.

The smile was gone. "You poor girl. You really don't have any memory, do you?"

"Matsumoto, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Momo turned to see Toshiro standing behind the woman, a vein nearly popping out of his head.

"Ah, Taicho! I was just offering her something to help with that horrible headache of hers!" The woman now known as Matsumoto giggled nervously.

"Where you even got that out here is a mystery to me, but don't you take it anywhere near her! If she has a headache, the last thing she needs is to get drunk and make it worse," the boy snapped at his subordinate. "Get rid of that, _now_!" He barked.

Muttering something about a "dull boy," his vice-captain finally obeyed him and took the sake and the glasses elsewhere, possibly to share it with someone else. She didn't seem to like drinking alone, seeing as she was always pushing it off on others.

With that obstacle taken care of, Toshiro approached Momo's side. "Are you all right?" He asked softly.

"Just a…" she winced, "little headache." Finally, she managed a smile at him. "Hitsugaya-kun, who was she? Did I know her, too? She seemed to know me."

He nodded. "Hai. That was Matsumoto-fukutaicho. From my squad. Enough about that. Maybe I can help with that headache. Lay back and try to relax."

"O-okay, Hitsugaya-kun," his friend said, doing as she was told.

Toshiro allowed his fingers to graze her temples, as he concentrated his chilling energy into his hands, hoping to soothe her with the cold touch of his reiatsu. "Does this feel any better to you?"

"Hmm…" She nodded contentedly.

"Good." After a while, he thought that she had fallen asleep, so he stopped and stood, willing to allow her more rest.

"Shiro-chan?" Apparently, she wasn't asleep.

He stopped and sat back down. "Go to sleep, Hinamori."

"But I wanted to ask you about something," she said softly, almost pleadingly, and so he relented.

"Okay, then after you go to sleep, got it?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her. "So ask me, already."

"I had a dream," Momo started, and opened her soft brown eyes, staring up at the ceiling in wonder. "You were there, but you were younger. I can't remember very well who else was there, but I know it was you, because of your eyes, and because of the feeling I felt in my dream."

The white-haired boy leaned in closer to her, fully attentive now. "So I was there. What exactly happened in your dream, Momo?" He asked quietly.

"It was lightning outside, and you were in bed. I saw you and everything else around you, but… you were speaking to someone, and teasing them for being afraid. For some reason when that happened I felt really lonely, but then when you said that person's name," she paused a moment. "I couldn't hear it. Even though I couldn't hear it, I felt really happy inside. And safe. Why?"

Hitsugaya was taken aback by what Hinamori had just told him. _Her dream… was a memory,_ he thought. A memory from when they were little. And the feelings that she told him she felt experiencing the dream, he wondered if those had been her actual feelings at the time. After that long pause, he answered. "That was a memory from a long time ago. That person was you, Hinamori. You were afraid of the storm. You've always been afraid of storms. You would always come into my room on cold or stormy nights, or whenever something scared you." _And I always promised to myself that I would protect you. Not much has changed with any of that. You left to join the Gotei 13 and I followed. In the end, I became a captain and wanted nothing more than to keep you safe, and so I thought that you would be safe in Aizen's care. You were happy then, so I was willing to back off and allow him to protect you. If I had known what kind of person he was, I would have kept you from him. I would have had you transferred over to my squad, I would've-_

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo's voice cut into his thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Hai, Bed Wetter. Now it's time to sleep," he replied.

"But could you tell me what really happened that night? Please?" The girl had such a lost look about her that Hitsugaya knew that he had to comply. He had to try to fill in the holes of her missing past that was troubling her.

He sighed. "All right." So he began the story where her dream began. He was so lost in wistful memories that he didn't notice that her eyes drooped and eventually fell shut, while he was still in the middle of it.

_It was in the middle of the night when she came into his room, the little frightened girl. She was crying. He _hated _it when she cried. "Shiro-chan, I'm afraid… Please, can't I sleep here with you? The storm is so scary. It sounds like the whole sky is going to come down on us!" Tears streamed down her face._

"_Aw, come on Momo! Are you a chicken, or what?" He made a face._

_She whimpered and took a shaky step back. "I-I'm sorry, Shiro-chan. It's just… you always keep the sky from falling, so I wanted to sleep by you tonight."_

"_It's just a storm. Aw, man, fine, you can sleep next to me. I'll prove to you it's nothing to cry over! Anyway, if I leave you alone now, you'll just wet the bed, won't you?" He said, smirking impishly at her. He lay back and stretched his arms out, allowing her to use his chest as a pillow. "Goodnight, Momo."_

Overcome with the memory, Toshiro stopped and looked down, only to find Momo curled by his side, already fast asleep. The sight warmed him, and he let a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. He didn't mention this part from his memory to Momo, but he desperately wanted to. That night, as his heartbeat lulled Momo to sleep, he felt truly satisfied. _That night, I was finally able to protect you for the first time._

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It was sometime in the night when she awoke. The entire tent was dark, and after awhile an awful feeling overcame her, so she stood up. She didn't want to be there in that tent, with others that she didn't know. So, Momo stood up and quietly made her way out of the tent. She didn't know what she was looking for, really. She just had felt so nervous with those other people in there. Most of them were injured, while others had been tending to their care and were taking a bit of rest themselves. For some reason, she felt that she hated that kind of place. Walking a little ways away, she stopped when she spotted a lone tree under the dark Hueco Mundo sky. She sat down and leaned against it.

"Hinamori-kun! What are you doing out here?"

The shout startled her, and she jumped to her feet at the approaching figure in the dim light. "I-I…"

It was a young man with lighter colored hair and blue eyes, and of course Momo didn't recognize him. "You aren't supposed to be out here. You're supposed to be resting over in the Squad 4 Barracks. Unohana-taicho is going to be upset. Come on." He took her arm and began leading her back.

"W-wait, please!" She tried pulling her hand away, but his grip was too strong on her wrist. "Please, stop! I don't even know you! That hurts!" She cried out. "Stop it!"

"Kira, let go of her." An icy chill had descended upon the air now, as Hitsugaya Toshiro spoke out that command, a dangerous glare in his eyes.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," the lieutenant whispered, and did as he was told.

Once released, Momo quickly scooted over to where Hitsugaya was and hid behind him, clinging to the back of his haori for comfort. The boy glanced back at her. "Are you all right, Hinamori?"

"H-hai, Hitsugaya-kun. Gomen ne…"

"Baka, don't worry about it." He brought his stare forward once again. "She has no memory of you. Approaching her like that will only make her feel threatened. But, thank you for at least trying to get her back safely to camp." His gaze turned back to the skittish girl. "And as for _you_… why aren't you in bed resting?" Hitsugaya asked, an annoyed scowl forming on his face.

"A-ano… I…" She looked away.

"Momo," Kira called out. "You've really forgotten me?" He almost sounded hurt.

She hung her head, and Toshiro turned around, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He looked back to Squad 3's vice-captain. "It wasn't her fault! If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at Aizen. He did this to her! It's not only you she's forgotten. She's forgotten everything, including herself!"

"Everything except you," Kira muttered. "Never mind. Goodbye, Momo. Please just forget any of this happened. Never mind." He walked away without another word.

Her fist clenched Hitsugaya's haori tighter and she bit her lip. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Sighing, the boy shook his head. "No, you're not. You can't remember now, but I promise I'll make things right."

"I know you will, Hitsugaya-kun. You're the only one I _do _know…" The girl closed her eyes, deep in concentration. After a while, she became frustrated and opened her eyes once again. "It's no good…" She sighed sadly. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to…"

"Enough, Hinamori. Don't push yourself," Hitsugaya chided, knocking the knuckles of his hand lightly against her forehead teasingly. "You don't have to strain yourself to remember just because someone feels bad. He'll understand eventually. It's not going to do you any good to worry about what you can't remember right now."

Nodding silently, she loosened her grip on his haori and let her hand drop to her side. She said nothing the entire way back, until they reached the Squad 4 barracks, then she stopped. "Please, don't make me go back in there, Hitsugaya-kun. I'm not sleepy right now, and I don't like it in there."

Hitsugaya's gaze softened at watching her stricken expression in the moonlight. He was tired, but seeing her so upset about something, well, how could he deny her? Truth be told, he couldn't. He hesitated, because he knew what his vice-captain would do if she found out or saw them, but finally he suggested, "Let's go back to the Squad 10 barracks then. Would you be okay sleeping in my room?" He had to be tired. That was why he was even thinking of suggesting something so outrageous. _Unohana-taicho has given me most of the responsibility for Hinamori right now, and besides, we did this all the time as children, so there really shouldn't be any problem with it, _he reasoned. Somehow, for some reason he couldn't stop his cheeks from reddening, albeit slightly.

"Really? You mean it, Hitsugaya-kun?" Well, he couldn't retract his suggestion now, could he?

"Hai, follow me, Hinamori," he said in defeat, resigning himself to leading her back to his temporary home. Once they both reached the 10th Squad's area, he stopped in front of his own encampment. "Come on," he managed, all of a sudden feeling too shy to speak clearly.

She did as a she was told. "Hitsugaya-kun, I really am sorry for causing so much trouble," she whispered, hanging her head.

He turned and with surprising speed he was right in front of her face, flicking her nose playfully. "Ie, you aren't trouble, Bed Wetter, so knock it off, okay?"

Rubbing her nose, Hinamori Momo grimaced a bit. "Itai! Shiro-chan, that hurt! You're so mean!"

Her answer was a pillow and blanket to the face. "Here, you take the futon."

"Demo, what about you, Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo asked, eyes widening.

"You act like this is the first time I've had to give up my bed," he answered with an arched eyebrow. "Don't worry about it, Hinamori. I'm fine."

The girl settled down on the mat and scooted over to the side. "Here, Shiro-chan. You can sleep right here."

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho, and no, I'm fine right here, Bed Wetter," he replied stubbornly.

"Demo…" Momo's lip trembled. "I want you here, Shiro-chan. Onegai?"

Well, he lost again, didn't he? "Fine, whatever. Just let me get some sleep," he grumbled, making his way over to the futon and lying down beside her. He wasn't surprised when she took his arm and wrapped it around her, snuggling into his side. _How in the hell does she expect me to sleep like this?!_ He wondered. It took awhile to get used to her close proximity, and with his heart pounding so fast he was surprised he didn't keep her up as well with it. But finally, sleep claimed him as well.

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She was up before he was, but considering that she'd gotten to sleep much sooner than he it was to be expected. Smiling and waving, she rushed over to him when he poked his spiky head out of the tent. "Hitsugaya-kun! Good morning!"

Nodding back to her, he stepped out all of the way. "Did you sleep well?" He asked with a yawn.

"Hai! Arigato gozaimasu!" Momo answered, bobbing her head up and down in a show of gratitude. "I was just out here with my… it is mine, right? I'm trying to practice with this sword." She lifted the sword once again, and Hitsugaya caught sight of her bleeding hands.

An image flashed through his head, of his friend lying unconscious with her hands bleeding. He shuddered and pushed it away. That image drove him crazy. Ignoring it, or doing his best to, he caught her by the arm, forcing her to drop the sword. "Baka! You're not even holding it right," he growled. _Just how long has she been out here unsupervised?_ He admonished himself. Some guardian he was!

"Itai!" Momo whimpered. "But I was just trying to practice," she protested as she was led back into Hitsugaya's room.

"You're never going to get anywhere practicing like that, Bed Wetter," he chided, taking out the first aid kit and delicately wrapping her hands in the bandages it provided.

"Why am I no good, Hitsugaya-kun?" Her voice was soft, but he could hear the frustration that she felt. Frustration at herself, mostly.

Her friend finished bandaging her hands and fastened the gauze into place. Then, aqua met chestnut as he looked into her eyes. "Momo, it'll be okay. So you don't know how to hold a sword. You know I do, so I'll just show you."

"You would do that, Shiro-chan?" She asked, brightening immediately.

Another flick to her nose. "Of course, baka! And it's Hitsugaya-taicho!" He led her out once again and picked her sword up, handing it to her. "Now, again, Hinamori."

She hesitantly held the sword up again. "Like this?"

He moved by her side. "Not quite. Here, this hand goes right under the hilt. Separate your hands more." He took her other hand and slid it further down the handle of the sword. "And now your stance. That's all wrong, too. Bring your left foot back just a little, and your right foot more to the side. That way you can move quicker."

"Like this?"

"No…" His arms went around Hinamori's shoulders as he guided her into proper position. Next, he moved his hand to her thigh, and his face was right next to hers. A rather intimate-looking position to any possible passersby.

Which at that moment, there was. "My, my, Taicho!"

"M-Matsumoto!" The boy let go of Hinamori, and faced away from her, attempting to hide a blush. Unfortunately for him, his hair was the whitest color of snow there could be, and so the red in his cheeks was given away by his treacherous hair color.

"And what are we doing?" His vice-captain giggled.

Finally able to contain his blush, the boy prodigy glared up at her. "None of the things which I know _you're _suspecting."

"Oh, don't mind me," the 10th Squad vice-captain said, smiling mischievously. "Carry on and it'll be like I'm not here."

"Matsumoto," her captain spoke calmly. "I take this to mean that you finished that paperwork from yesterday? That's good, because I believe it is due to be sent in today. And you will need to get started on that report from yesterday as well."

"Uh, right… I just remembered, I have something I need to do! You two better not have _too _much fun!" Matsumoto teased, getting ready to run for it.

Hitsugaya was just about to start snapping another order at her but stopped when a Hell Butterfly fluttered in front of him. "What?"

It landed on Matsumoto's finger. Her expression hardened. "Attention all captains and lieutenants. An order has just been issued by Yamamoto So-taicho to evacuate Hueco Mundo. It has become increasingly unstable within the past twelve hours as monitored by the 12th Division. Please organize your squads and be ready to leave within the hour. This is an emergency."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hitsugaya spoke out loud. Just then, Momo cried out next to him and her legs collapsed from under her. "Hinamori! What's wrong?! Tell me!"

"I-I… Shiro-chan… I have a splitting pain… It hurts…" She gasped, her hands clenched over her heart.

"Matsumoto! Organize our division! I'll be right back. I'm dropping her off with Unohana-taicho-" Toshiro was interrupted as they were both knocked off their feet by a severe tremor in the ground. "Earthquakes?!"

"Make it stop, Shiro-chan," Momo begged, fisting her hand into his haori.

He made sure to steady his friend, and then looked to Matsumoto. "We need to move. Something's wrong. Go, now!"

"Sir!" Matsumoto didn't need to be told twice.

Toshiro raced back to where Squad 4 was, Momo in his arms. "Hold on, Hinamori, we're almost there," he murmured.

She seemed lost in her own little world. "It hurts, it hurts…" That was all she kept repeating.

"Unohana-taicho!" Hitsugaya shouted amongst the panicking 4th Division members who were scrambling to move the patients out of there. "Where are you?!"

The woman in question stepped out of the tent, rushing over to him. "I'm here, Hitsugaya-taicho." She didn't even need to question the 10th Squad captain to know what was wrong. "Please, leave her in my care. Go, now, and ready your division for departure. It appears that this place is deteriorating rapidly."

With one last glance at his ailing friend, Hitsugaya turned and used Shunpo, disappearing from the 4th Captain's sight. He made his way quickly to his own division, where his members were panicking as well. "Calm down! Keep moving and you'll all be fine," he commanded to everyone.

Another earthquake struck, knocking several trees over. Causing more panic and confusion amongst the squad divisions. Matsumoto in the meantime was gathering the members of Squad 10 together. They had packed everything. "All right. Is there anyone who is not accounted for?"

"I've gathered everyone, Matsumoto-fukutaicho," the third seated officer stated. "Are we moving out?"

Hitsugaya stepped forward. "Hai, quickly but calmly. Do not panic. Matsumoto, lead the way. I will bring up the rear." He noted that the other divisions had gathered, and not a moment too soon. The ground was cracking at their feet.

Several hell butterflies fluttered in front of the shinigami, opening a gate to the world of the living. Soon, the line began to move through the gates, everyone rushing to escape the collapsing Hueco Mundo. 4th Division was first, then the 1st Division, and the others followed. Once Squad 13 passed through the gates, they closed. From there, the war party moved to the world of the living, and transferred through another gate back to the Soul Society. But one question was going through many of their minds. _What exactly had gone wrong?_

**End of chapter 2.**

**Author's note: **I'm currently at work on chapter 3, but with another busy work week ahead of me, I'm not sure if I'll be able to have another chapter up before next weekend. I'll certainly try, though. Like I said before, my life is CRAZY! So anyway, review if you wish and tell me how you liked this chapter. It really means the world to me. And I must warn you all now… It will get very angsty in later chapters. I'm mean **very**. It's already started as I'm writing chapter 3, and it's going to definitely get worse before better. So if you're looking for humor in this fic… Um… Sorry you're going to want to look somewhere else. Fair warning. Anyhow, I hope to see all of you back next chapter! Take care! Ja ne, and all that good stuff! XD -- Hallie


	3. Never, Never, Never

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**Quick word from me:** Many thanks to the reviewers. KnowledgeandImagination (aw, thanks, it sounds like I'm not alone in writing angst), kRyStAlt3aRz (wow, that was hard for me to spell/type, XD but I am really glad you liked it and reviewed), blackwitchkarma (yes, I have seen Tsubasa, but I seriously didn't take anything from that anime, actually, I was thinking there were so many fics about what if Hinamori forgot Hitsugaya, that I thought, hey, what if she forgot everything _but _Hitsugaya?), Kinaia (thank you again for the cheery review, it really gives me confidence about my writing), xMidnight-Spiritx (I hope you find this chapter even more interesting). I dedicate this to the readers and reviewers! Enjoy!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 3: Never, Never, Never**

Hitsugaya paced back and forth outside of the 4th Division. He had so much on his mind now; so many questions. But nothing weighed heavier on his mind than his concern for the girl being treated just past those doors. Sure, he'd been forced to hand Momo over to Unohana and carry on with his own business, but that didn't mean that he had wanted to leave her side. He'd never admit it out loud but as he'd held her to him, hearing her cries of pain terrified him. If he was ever to admit to having a fear, it was seeing Hinamori in pain. And not being able to do anything to protect her from it. Without realizing it, his reiatsu was chilling the air around him, and Kotetsu Isane poked her head out from the doors. "Hitsugaya-taicho, please, it's growing cold in here. If you are having troubles with controlling yourself right now, we are going to have to ask you to leave. It is becoming difficult to treat our patients with the air so chilly."

Closing his eyes, he managed to bring it under control, and soon, the surroundings warmed up. "Gomen nasai, Isane-fukutaicho," he mumbled the apology.

"It's all right, this time. But Unohana-taicho is going to be upset if this keeps happening. Why don't you go and take a rest. Leave this to us."

He shook his head. "Hinamori is in there. I can't leave without knowing if she'll be all right."

Isane slipped out. "Well, I can't be certain of anything yet, Hitsugaya-taicho, but I can tell you that Hinamori-fukutaicho was sedated not too long ago. She seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, but I think that Unohana-taicho managed to get it under control for the time being. I'm not certain what will happen when she wakes up. I don't think that she is up for receiving visitors, so you might as well get some rest. You have been here for nearly four hours."

"I'm not tired," he insisted.

"Isane, you are needed inside," Unohana said, opening the door and stepping out. Once Isane had left, she turned to Hitsugaya. "You need to rest. Hinamori-fukutaicho is safe with us. Please, it will do her no good to know that you've been out here the entire night putting your own health at risk for her sake. Think of how she would feel."

"Will you notify me as soon as she is stable enough for a visitor?" Hitsugaya asked, finally giving in.

She nodded. "Certainly, Hitsugaya-taicho. I will send a hell butterfly over to your quarters when she awakens, regardless of the time, if you wish."

"Hai," the boy said, nodding. "I don't care what time." He rubbed at his eyes, and the older captain could see that he was indeed tired.

"Go get some sleep," she said, waving him off. "As it is you most likely only have a couple of hours before she awakens."

Nodding, the boy captain turned and wearily headed for his division.

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_Grasping… Around and round she turned, searching the darkness. "Where am I?" She cried. "Please… someone please tell me where I am! Who I am!"_

"_Time is running out, for the both of us," spoke a shadowy figure who stood before her._

"_Who are you?" The girl asked._

"_I don't know. Who are you?" The figure was fading._

"_Please wait!" She begged, racing forward, only to find nothing there but that same somewhat familiar sword. "Don't leave me here alone!"_

_The voice resonated within her mind. "You are not alone. I am you. You are me. But we are both lost from each other. We must find each other before it's too late. Before our time runs out."_

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Captain Unohana frowned as she looked down at the girl on the bed. She seemed to be weakening. It was only slightly now, but eventually, if things kept this way, she would die. She wondered if it had to do with her missing memories. _With those memories, did Aizen steal an important part of her soul?_ She had done all she could for the girl now. She would have to monitor Hinamori's condition very closely. She decided to send a hell butterfly down to the 10th Division. After all, she had promised, hadn't she? As for what she was going to say to the young captain, who would no doubt be showering her with questions, she was going to ask him to watch Hinamori as well. As the captain of Squad 4, she couldn't always be there to monitor just one person, so if she could assign Hinamori to Captain Hitsugaya's care for part of the time, and ask him to keep tabs on her, she would have an easier time keeping track of what was going on with the girl. And she decided that she wasn't going to say anything quite yet about Hinamori's weakening condition. It would just unnecessarily worry the boy more. He was already drowning in between his worry for his friend and trying to fit it into his life along with the enormous responsibility of being a captain. At such a young age, she feared that he would break under the stress. _It isn't the right time to tell him yet. Hopefully, it won't come to that, and he will never have to know. _Unohana was going to do her best to try and make sure that wouldn't happen, but she didn't truly know if it was going to have a positive outcome in the end. A chill in the air interrupted her thoughts and she tensed. "Didn't I tell you before that you have to control yourself around the patients?" She chided gently.

"Gomen nasai," responded Captain Hitsugaya. "You sent for me?"

The woman turned to face him. "You needn't worry so much, Hitsugaya-taicho. She is resting peacefully and is no longer in any pain. She should awaken soon, so I wanted to send for you, so you can be there when she wakes up."

He nodded appreciatively. "Arigato, Unohana-taicho."

"I have a favor to ask of you, Hitsugaya-taicho," she said suddenly.

"What is it?"

She beckoned him to follow her. "I would like for you to watch over Hinamori-fukutaicho in my absence. I can't always be there to watch over her, even when I must."

"Is it that serious?" He asked with a frown.

"Losing your memories is a very serious thing," she responded vaguely. "It's very hard on her, and so I need to check up on her from time to time."

They stopped in front of an area that had the curtains drawn around it. When Unohana pulled the curtains, revealing the girl, her childhood friend rushed over to her side. "Hinamori…"

"I'll leave this to you, Hitsugaya-taicho. I'm glad that we can both depend on you," Unohana said with a smile.

Now the worry about his friend put to rest for the moment, Hitsugaya thought about the emergency meeting that had been held. They had gathered around the Head of Research in the 12th Division, Mayuri, for his input on what had happened. According to him, from within Las Noches, Aizen's headquarters, there had been a tremendous rise in the reiatsu there, around the time that Hitsugaya, Ichigo, and the others had gone to rescue Hinamori. It had been steadily increasing, and then spiked once again just before those earthquakes shook the land where they had been camped out. There was even speculation that the phenomenon had to do with Hinamori herself. If it had something to do with her, he was going to find out what it was and make things right. There was no question about that. _I will fix you, _he silently promised. _I swear it._ He looked up as he heard her sigh. "Hinamori?" He asked.

"…hmm?" Slowly, her lashes parted, revealing her beautiful almond eyes.

"Hinamori?" He tried again.

She looked confused for a moment. "Hina…mori? Oh, that's me, isn't it…" She shook her head slightly. "Gomen nasai, Shiro-chan."

The boy grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up to her bedside. "Baka, quit apologizing. It's all right. I'll be here no matter how many times you forget yourself, or everyone else."

The girl's eyes widened a bit. "Forget? But, I don't want to forget, Shiro-chan… I want to remember… everything!" Tears began to well up and spill down her cheeks. "It isn't fair. No matter how hard I try, I just can't!"

"That's why I'm here to _help_ you, Hinamori," he reiterated. "I won't leave."

"But… but what if I forget you, too?!" She wailed.

A painful stab went through his heart at that thought, but he pushed it aside. "Then I'll still be here, just to help you remember. That's what friends are for. I would like to think that you would do the same if our places were reversed."

Then she did something that startled him. She sat up and reached for him, taking his hand and hugging it to her chest. "I don't want to forget you, Toshiro. Never, never, never! I'd rather die! Please, promise me, that if I ever do forget, kill me! Please!"

He pulled his hand away. "Momo… I could never… I would never… _ever _do something like that. Don't say that!"

"I couldn't live if I forgot you… Shiro-chan…"

"Baka, you won't forget. I won't let you. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Tears continued to spill, and it was obvious that his words weren't having the comforting effect that he'd intended. "I couldn't stand to forget you, too! Not you!"

Unable to take it anymore, he moved over to her side and pulled her sobbing form to his chest, allowing her to cry into his haori. "Momo, please don't cry," he whispered. "I'll help you. Just don't cry anymore."

"I-I'm sorry, Shiro-chan! I'm just so scared…" Suddenly she wasn't Hinamori Momo, the lieutenant of Squad 5 anymore. She was Bed Wetter Momo, his best friend who climbed into bed with him and cried into his arms after she'd had a terrifying dream. The girl who ate watermelon with him, and the little girl whom he'd always found himself protecting from everything; whether it be a swarm of hornets, a wild boar, or a couple of older boys pulling at her pigtails. The little girl who clung to him on nights where the wind howled and the sky lit up as if on fire. That was the girl that Hitsugaya Toshiro found himself holding at that moment.

He allowed a gentle smile to grace his lips as his aqua eyes gazed softly down at her. That was a look that no one else would see. No one but Momo. "It's okay. It will be okay," he whispered. "I'm here."

It was silent in the room for quite some time, with no sound but Momo's sobs, which eventually had died down to soft hiccups. She had cried all of the tears she could spare, but still clung to the fabric of his coat as if her life depended on it. Finally, she managed to whisper something to him. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you." Her eyelids were drooping once again as she was falling unconscious. "Which is why it would kill me… if I were ever to forget you…"

His heart skipped a beat at those words. "…" He couldn't say anything. To hear something like that come from _her_. Hitsugaya found it hard to breathe. It took him several minutes to register that she was leaning fully on him, having fallen asleep in his embrace, her cheek against his shoulder, and her hand still tightly gripping his haori. Realizing what position they were in, he tried lifting her, and setting her back down on the bed, but he realized that she stubbornly still held on. Finally, he gave up and sat back down, and realizing how heavy his own eyelids were, he fought to stay awake.

His battle with sleep was eventually lost, and a while later Unohana reentered the room, smiling gently at the scene. Momo was sleeping there, hand pressed against the boy captain's chest, while Toshiro slept beside her. His arm was draped around her shoulders protectively. "I suppose that I am going to have to quarantine this room to make sure that everyone stays away for awhile," she said softly to herself. "Good night, you two."

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_Toshiro stood there with a look of utter horror on his face. She could see him clearly, but the only other thing that she could discern from the scene is that there was a sword pointed at his throat. She could vaguely recall seeing that sword from somewhere. It had to have been recently that she'd seen that sword, but she couldn't tell from where. His expression was torn somewhere between shock, disbelief, pain, horror and at the last moment a seething anger. "So this was all your doing too?!" He shouted in fury. His expression changed once again back to pure terror, before everything went black._

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"Noooo!" Momo screamed and shot upright.

"Hinamori!" Toshiro was awake in an instant, having felt her jolt awake and hearing her scream. "What is it?!"

"Itai…" A sudden pain shot through her skull, and she collapsed against the boy. Closing her eyes until it subsided, she opened an eye, only to be met with a concerned teal gaze. "I'm all right," she murmured, pulling away slightly. A hand went up to her forehead. She chanced a glance at him, glad that she was able to open her eyes without the horrible pounding in her head.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly. "Do you need Unohana-taicho?" He was on his feet, and ready to bolt out the door.

She shook her head slowly, managing a small smile. "No, I'm just glad to see that you're not hurt. I had a horrible nightmare."

"A nightmare?"

Nodding, she scooted over to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over the side. "Yeah, so it's okay."

"What was your nightmare about?" Toshiro asked, frowning. He'd always hated it when she had nightmares. And this time, he wasn't liking the pain that she was obviously trying to hide from him. He moved over and sat down beside her once again.

"It was just a nightmare, right? So it's no big deal." Obviously Hinamori didn't want to discuss it.

But Hitsugaya pushed. "It'll help you feel better if you tell someone," he urged. What was wrong? She'd always told him of her dreams and nightmares. He couldn't remember a time when she hadn't volunteered the information.

"I-it was about you. It was pretty dumb. You looked really upset, and you had a sword pointed at your throat. Maybe you were getting attacked or something. You got really angry, then afraid again, and everything just stopped. Silly, huh?" She giggled nervously. "It wasn't even worth mentioning."

His fists clenched, and once again, the air around them started to drop in temperature. _Why?! Why does she have to remember that?_ He screamed in his mind.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

His breathing came out in ragged gasps. He struggled to get in control once again. "Yes, I'm fine, Hinamori-fukutaicho."

"No, you're upset," she noted. "Does it have something to do with what I dreamt? Wait, is that a memory like my others were?"

He pulled away quickly and stood. "It's nothing that you need to be concerned about, Lieutenant."

"Hitsugaya-kun-"

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you!" His tone even made him flinch. He dared not to look at her face and see the hurt that he'd just inflicted.

"Please…" The tears were coming once again. "What did I do wrong?"

Not able to stand it anymore, he spun on his heel and walked briskly toward the door, an icy expression on his face. He opened the door and bumped into Unohana, who had come, no doubt sensing the rise in his reiatsu. "Take care of Hinamori-fukutaicho," he ordered coldly. Before she could give him a reply, he stormed out of the room.

The older woman regarded him for a moment at the doorway, before rushing to the aid of the crying girl. "There, there, Hinamori," she cooed. "It's all right."

"I-I don't understand what I did! Please, tell me what I did! I'll make it right! I never meant to make him so angry!" The distraught girl wept.

"He wasn't angry with you," Unohana said softly. _Although I am going to have a talk with him. He can't be allowing his emotions to cloud his own judgment if he's going to be of any help to her. Becoming angry like this will not benefit Hinamori in any way, shape or form. _She had specifically chosen Hitsugaya to help her with the very thought of his ability to remain calm. Perhaps she had given him too much credit. He was closely involved with the girl, after all, and very young. Much too young to be a captain in her opinion. _Faced with the responsibilities of being a captain, plus taking care of someone who needs a lot of time and attention, and on top of all that being forced to come to terms with realizing that someone dear to you may never recover, I guess I can understand, and it was careless of me to think that he was mature enough to handle this. _She shook her head. _Normally, he puts on a stoic face and acts as if he can handle anything that comes his way. And he usually can. _Her gaze saddened as she held the whimpering girl. _But this time, it may be too much for him to bear._

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It didn't matter to him. Nothing mattered to him at all right now except getting away. He had to get out of there! Away from the girl whom he know he'd hurt. Away from the sympathetic glances that the captain of Squad 4 and her lieutenant were giving him. Away from that entire division. He finally slowed once he neared his own division. _What have I done?_

"Hitsugaya-taicho?" A young woman, an unranked member of his squad asked, approaching him. "Sir, is everything all right?"

The glare he gave her sent her stumbling back a few feet. "It's none of your business."

"H-hai. Gomen nasai." She wisely made herself scarce in an instant. The captain looked like he was about ready to impale her with Hyourinmaru, and she didn't want to take her chances.

Continuing on his way, he flung the doors to his division opened and entered his office, finding a drunken Matsumoto lying halfway on the couch, holding onto a bottle of sake. "Out." He pointed to the door.

"Taicho! I was up all night waiting for you." There was a slight slur to her words. "I was worried, so I made sure to stay up and wait for you. Where were you, with Hinamori-chan?" She smiled mischievously.

"Unless you plan on shutting up and finishing up that paperwork that you should have done in my absence," he started in a dangerously low tone, "it would be safest and wisest for you to leave this room _now_."

She sobered up immediately. "Taicho… What happened?" She approached him.

The room temperature dropped. "I just need to be alone for awhile."

Her arms tentatively reached forward and she pulled the boy close to her, such as a mother would do with her child. "Taicho, it isn't your fault. You've done all you can for Hinamori-chan. You are exhausted and you need rest."

"I can't do it," he whispered. "I can't do this. Hinamori is suffering and I… I hurt her, damn it! Instead of helping, I struck at her when she was weak! Why can't I ever seem to protect her when she needs me most?" He couldn't remember a time when he'd felt this lost. His eyes burned with threatening tears.

Then, Matsumoto Rangiku said something that he would never forget. "Taicho, you want so badly to grow up. You try so hard. But you are still just a child. None of us are perfect, and that is what you need to realize, in order to take those first steps into adulthood. You have to stop envisioning yourself as this flawless individual who can never make a mistake. If you make a mistake, fine. Accept it, learn from it and move on. Dwelling on it will not help you move forward." Her arms encircled him, and she stroked his back lightly. "You are so busy admonishing yourself for everything you believe you _couldn't _do for her, that you fail to look at everything you _have_ done for her." She lowered her voice. "You try to be an adult, but by going about it that way, Taicho, you are the farthest thing from one."

Those words crushed him. Hearing the harsh reality spoken to him from Rangiku's lips made it that much more unbearable. Had he truly failed that much at everything? "What…" He couldn't even form a sentence anymore. A single tear trailed down his cheek as he shuddered involuntarily. _What good am I?_

After a brief silence, Matsumoto loosened her hold on the boy. She truly felt sorry for him, and part of her wanted to take back what she had said, but she had spoken the truth, and she knew that her captain was grateful for that. A true friend will speak the truth, even if it is painful to face. An even truer friend will help you face it as well, which is what Matsumoto fully intended to do. "Do you need a few moments, Taicho?" She asked quietly. She knew that he didn't like to display emotion and was probably beside himself right now.

Hitsugaya stiffened. "Hai. If that's possible," he managed to speak evenly.

His lieutenant nodded. "I will be outside if you need me."

"Take the rest of the day off," he replied. "There's paperwork that I need to do."

"Taicho?" Did she hear right? He was letting her off paperwork duty?

"It'll take my mind off things temporarily. Take it as an apology. Take it as gratitude. However you want to," he said dully. "However, you may want to get moving, because I might change my mind."

Rangiku didn't need to be told twice. "Arigato, Taicho." And she was out the door. But even as she walked down the hallway, farther away from her captain, her thoughts couldn't help but linger with him. She almost felt compelled to stay. Hesitating for a moment, she almost turned back, but stopped herself. Her captain had asked to be alone. He needed to be by himself for awhile. She wanted to go back into the office, but she knew that it would probably only irritate him. All Matsumoto could do now was trust in her captain's judgment. If he said he needed some space, then space she would give him. _Please, Taicho,_ she silently begged him. _Don't try to take everything on yourself anymore._

**End of chapter 3.**

**Author's Note: **I couldn't go one day without updating. I know this is going to be very depressing for awhile. Because I'm depressed this week. I won't be home all weekend and I will be off visiting people (my grouchy relatives). Well take care!-- Hallie


	4. Against Our Wills

**Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.**

**A quick word from me:** Thank you to all who read and to kRyStAlt3aRz, KnowledgeandImagination, Avith, xMidnight-Spiritx, and Kinaia for reviewing!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 4: Against Our Wills**

"She's been that way since he left yesterday," Unohana said sadly to her lieutenant. "I took her outside, but all she does is stare off into space. I haven't been able to get her to eat. And she won't sleep, either. She just sits there."

"Taicho, it's completely understandable if you think about it. What would you do if one person was the only thing you had as proof of your past? What if that person just up and left you?" Isane looked up at her captain.

Sighing, Unohana nodded in agreement. "You are right, Isane-fukutaicho. Absolutely right, in fact. He was the only proof she had, and now that he's gone, she has closed herself off and refuses to exist in the now. She must be so confused right now, the poor thing."

"Then we should get Hitsugaya-taicho and bring him back here. I'm certain that he wouldn't want to see Hinamori-san in this state," Isane responded.

"We can't do that, I'm afraid. He needs some time as well. As he is right now, he could do more harm to her than good." The captain bit her lip, watching the girl thoughtfully.

Isane shook her head. "But if left this way much longer we'll…"

"Yes, we'll have to sedate her and give her an I.V. with all of the necessary nutrients to sustain her." She smiled wanly. "I don't want it to come to that, either, Isane, but we'll have to wait and see." Unohana turned and left the lieutenant there to watch over the girl as she checked on her other patients.

"It's a shame isn't it? That this poor little girl is in such a condition. I've already spoken with Unohana-taicho about it, however. If she doesn't come out of this state within the next day, she has given me permission to take her down to the 12th Division for some… testing to be done." The Head of Research smiled as he said this.

"You can't! The only thing you're looking to accomplish is to test Hinamori's reactions to what is now happening in Hueco Mundo! You said so yourself at that emergency meeting that you wanted to further study how they were related. You don't care one bit about her health! The captain would never allow it-!"

"Ah, but I already have this permission slip with her signature," the 12th Squad captain held up the piece of paper for her to see.

She clenched her fists. "Kurotsuchi-taicho," she started, "with all due respect, I'm asking you to leave Hinamori-fukutaicho alone. She is still recovering."

"Who do you think you are?!" He snapped. "You are a lieutenant, and even here in your own division I outrank you. Learn your place!"

"Is something the matter?" Unohana came back over to where the two were arguing.

"Unohana-taicho, please don't tell me that you're letting Hinamori go with him," Isane pleaded.

The woman's eyes darkened. "Yes. I am." She sent a cold stare his way. "I know that he doesn't care for Hinamori's wellbeing, but with that research, he may actually help things. And then there is the situation with the stability of Hueco Mundo that needs to be taken care of."

The lieutenant couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But Taicho! What about what _Hinamori _wants? Do you think that she wants this?"

Mayuri cut in. "Look at her, Lieutenant! Does she _look_ like she has a will of her own right now? My research may also help her to regain what she has lost. It's certainly better than trying to sustain her here with no hope or certainty that she will recover anything!"

The younger woman called a hell butterfly over to her, and her captain asked, "What are you doing, Isane?"

"I'm sending a message over to Hitsugaya-taicho, letting him know what's going on."

Shaking her head, the captain waved the butterfly off. "No, that is forbidden. He has things that he must work through, and it is best to not disturb him."

"I… I understand, Taicho," Isane said softly, directing a glare over to the Squad 12 captain. "If you'll both excuse me, I have a lieutenant's meeting to attend." She left quickly, racing down the halls to where the other vice-captains were gathered. It wasn't really an official meeting; just one of Matsumoto's drinking parties, so Isane rarely went. But she knew that if she could relay the message to Rangiku, then Captain Hitsugaya would definitely get the message. By the time she'd made it to the bar, she was out of breath and burst in through the door. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho!"

"Oy, Isane-chan! Join the party for once!" One glance told her that the 10th lieutenant was three sheets to the wind.

"No thank you, but I do need to talk to you about something important." She sighed, rolling her eyes but turned serious. "Please, it'll only take a moment of your time. May we speak in private?"

"Aw, come on, Isane-chan! Loosen up and _live _some!" The drunken lieutenant was beside her in an instant, forcing some vile-tasting liquid down her throat.

The startled girl coughed and gagged. "Ew, ugh, gross!" She stumbled and fell back on the couch. _Man, this stuff really packs a wallop!_ She was already feeling lightheaded and strangely giddy. She giggled.

"So, what did you want to come talk to me about?" Matsumoto purred.

_What was it? Great, now I can't remember. Oh, well…_ "I guess if it's _really _that important I'll remember it. Come on, who's up for some karaoke?"

The hours passed and finally, they were kicked out of the bar in the early morning hours. They laughed as they held onto each other to keep from falling. Kira was complaining about some duties he had to do as acting captain of his squad. "'N I keep telling 'em to knock it off and shape up but they just won't! They say I'm not good enough to be a captain, so why should they have to listen to me!"

"I hear ya," Isane griped. "Like stupid Mayuri comes in today, barking orders at me, the smug little jerk he is… I'd like to rearrange that clown face and _really _make him look strange one of these days!" She laughed with everyone else. "But get this! That jerk tells me that he's taking over the care of _Hinamori _of all people, and you know how he treats his 'pets'. So I say to Unohana…"

"Wait a minute, Isane," Matsumoto interrupted, suddenly serious. "What is he going to do with Hinamori?"

"…huh? What was I just taking about…?" Isane mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Matsumoto suddenly wished that she hadn't gotten the girl so drunk. "Hinamori! What is Mayuri-taicho going to do with Hinamori?"

"Oh, yeah, that jerk, so anyway, I tell Unohana that there's no way he can care about her and all he wants to do is use her in experiments to figure out Hueco Mundo, and what does she do?! She blows me off! Completely! And so tomorrow, Hinamori is going with Mayuri, since she hasn't snapped out of her trance. And I wasn't supposed to tell Squad 10 about it. Oops, looks like I messed up there!" Isane started giggling.

"Kira, can you walk Isane home?"

"Uh, sure, Matsumoto. Everything okay?"

"I need to speak with Taicho, good night!" She raced off as fast as she could in her half-inebriated state. She managed to make it to their office, and found her captain slumped over the paperwork. Realizing that he'd fallen asleep amongst the documents, she shook him awake. "Taicho!" She hissed.

He pushed her away sleepily. "Go away, Matsumoto, you're drunk. I can smell it on you."

"Taicho!" She leaned forward and shouted in his ear.

"I'm up, I'm up!" He snapped, lifting his head to glare at her. "I thought I told you to get lost for the night! And you _still _come in drunk to bother me while I'm in the middle of paperwork!"

"Oh, _please_! You were snoring away, Taicho."

"Whatever! So what do you want?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Matsumoto bit her lip in concern. Her captain didn't look like he'd been sleeping well at all the past few days. "Apparently, we weren't supposed to know about this, but Hinamori-chan is going to be transferred to Mayuri's division tomorrow since she hasn't been improving."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Isane told me. Unohana has already given the go-ahead," Matsumoto answered.

The boy captain shot to his feet. "No! I'm not going to allow Hinamori to fall into his hands! I won't allow her to be toyed with like that!" He used Shunpo and disappeared from the office.

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It was daybreak in the Soul Society, and just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, a greatly agitated young captain stood outside the 4th Squad gates. The door opened and he stepped in and immediately turned his frustrations on the captain of the healing division. "Why would you do that?" He demanded.

She coolly regarded him and replied, "What we were doing wasn't working. Mayuri-taicho wanted to try a new approach. By doing those tests on her he can better find out what exactly is wrong and how to fix it."

"He doesn't care about her as a patient! He only cares about her as a _specimen_! I won't allow it!"

"She is my patient, so it is out of your hands, Hitsugaya-taicho," she responded.

The white-haired captain clenched his fists and hissed through gritted teeth, "I was given partial responsibility of her."

"Which you gave up yesterday when you stormed out of here and left me to pick up the pieces," Unohana countered with a slight frown.

"She is my _friend_! I could never allow him to _experiment_ on her at her expense!" He spat out.

"You are too closely involved, Hitsugaya Toshiro-taicho," Unohana spoke softly, but seriously. "You are allowing your personal feelings to cloud your judgment. I've witnessed this before with you. You are very mature for someone your age, however, some things you just can't rush. You are not mature enough to handle this. I have already requested to Yamamoto So-taicho that something be done to separate the two of you, in order to allow you both time to recover."

"I know I made a mistake yesterday, but, I'm willing to try again," Hitsugaya said quietly. "I won't make that same mistake. I won't take it out on her. I can help her. I know I can, so let me help her."

She smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-taicho, but this is for the best for the both of you."

Struggling to maintain his composure, he finally won the battle and looked at the older captain through hardened eyes. "All right. Let them know where I am if she needs me for anything." He turned and made a move to leave.

"Wouldn't you like to say goodbye to her, Taicho?" Unohana asked gently. "I think that it would be easier for the both of you to part on good terms with one another."

His shoulders stiffened. "If… that is okay with her."

"Come," she motioned for him to follow and lead him past the door that she had previously stood in front of. Through it was a porch overlooking a koi pond. "I will leave you both alone now."

He spied Hinamori sitting in front of it, staring far off into the distance. "Hinamori…" When he received no reply, he approached her and sat down beside her. "Momo. Look at me. I know you're in there somewhere."

Slowly, she turned her head and faced him. "Hitsu…gaya-kun. Why? What… did I do wrong?"

At that, his eyes widened and he reached forward, pulling his friend into an awkward embrace. "Gomen nasai, Hinamori," he whispered. "I messed up. You did nothing wrong. I was upset because of your dream, but it was a memory. Painful for the both of us, but I forgot that it turned out all right in the end. I just didn't want you to have to relive it. You've been hurt enough. I've never wanted to do anything but protect you, but in the end I was the one to hurt you, and I'm sorry."

"Shiro-chan, I don't know that much about anything. But I know you, and I know that every time I'm with you now, I always feel safe. Please tell me that we'll stay together."

"We have some things that we need to take care of first, Hinamori. I'm sorry." His arms dropped to his sides. "But, soon, as long as you want, we'll stay together."

"Well, I presume you two are done?" Mayuri's voice interrupted them and they jumped slightly, moving away from one another.

Hitsugaya eyed him menacingly. "For now."

Momo found herself clinging to Toshiro's haori, and she subconsciously made a move to step behind him. "What is going on?" She asked weakly.

"Come with me, my dear," Mayuri said, stepping forward.

She responded by stepping closer to Hitsugaya. "Shiro-chan…"

"Go with him, Hinamori. He's going to try to help fix everything," Hitsugaya found himself saying, much to his chagrin.

Shaking her head, she stepped further behind him. "I don't want to go with him."

Steeling himself, Toshiro stepped aside. "It's only for awhile, Hinamori," he said softly, allowing Unohana to take her away.

"Please, no! Hitsugaya-kun… why can't I stay? Hitsugaya-kun! _Shiro-chan_!" It was difficult to ignore her desperate pleas, but he managed, barely.

"I suppose we had better be going. We have plenty to work on," the 12th Squad captain said nonchalantly.

Hitsugaya's icy blue-green eyes narrowed at him in a menacing glare. "Kurotsuchi, if you harm her in any way… you won't live to regret it. So I'd be _very_…careful." His voice was calm, and displayed no emotion, but underneath, there was a deadly seriousness and a sudden warning chill in the air which almost affected the other captain. Almost.

"I'll keep that in mind, Little One," he returned snidely before making his exit and leaving the frustrated boy to stare after him.

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"Hitsugaya-taicho, I will have you sent along with Kurosaki and your lieutenant to the world of the living. There have been disturbances caused by the arrancar there, and we need someone there who is at a captain's level to handle things there. You did well the last time you were sent there, and so I have decided that you will be the one to go," the head captain was saying. "It's going to probably take some time. I'd say that it's going to be a few months that you will be spending in the world of the living."

Hitsugaya couldn't say that he was surprised. This was probably at Unohana's request, to keep him away from Hinamori for awhile. But still, he was angry over it. However, he knew his place, so he simply nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

The elder raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have any comments about this mission? Unohana-taicho insisted that you should be the one to take on this task."

"…No, sir. Nothing." The boy stared down at the floor, the emotionless mask in place. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. He had so much he wanted to say, but he knew that it would be useless for him to say it.

"She wants you to stop by the 4th Division. Both you and Matsumoto are to check-in with her before you leave tomorrow morning. Is that understood?"

"Yes. Thank you. If there isn't anything else, I'll be taking my leave right now," he said, preparing to exit.

"Certainly. Best of luck to you, Taicho," Yamamoto said. "I trust you won't fail."

Hitsugaya said nothing more but took his leave. What else could he say? He had a task that was assigned to him, even if he didn't want it. Even if he was angry at the ones who had given him this job in the first place. It was at these times when he realized the true sacrifices that a captain of the Gotei 13 made, and what it truly meant to be a captain. He disliked it, but also knew deep down that there was no better way to protect those he cared for. Even when he had to give up the very ones he meant to protect. Deep in thought, the young captain wandered the hallways, making his way toward the gate that would lead him to the world of the living. He met his vice-captain along the way and greeted her. "Are you ready to go, Matsumoto?"

Her steel-blue eyes shone with concern. "Taicho, are you really all right with all of this?" She asked softly.

The boy's expression never wavered, but the woman had spent enough time with him by now to know that it bothered him. "We're doing what we were assigned to do. If you're ready, then it's time for us to depart." He stood before the gate with the hell butterflies to guide them. And when the gate opened, he followed them, never looking back.

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Hinamori Momo didn't know much about herself. She couldn't say what her likes or her dislikes were. She couldn't hope to guess what her favorite foods or least favorites were, either. But she did know one thing as she followed the Head of Research to his division. She didn't like it there. She didn't want to be there, and she wasn't so sure she liked _him_ personally. He was beginning to scare her with the creepy glances he cast over his shoulder at her. "S-sir, where exactly are you going to take me?"

"So, we've finally calmed down and decided to accept the situation, have we, my dear?" He asked, slowing down to walk beside her.

The girl slowed down more. "I just want to know what you intend to do with me. Why can't I stay with Hitsugaya-kun? Why is it I have to go with you?"

"Once I can find out what I need to from you, you can go back to that incompetent little boy if you wish," the captain snapped. "But don't you want to see if any of this benefits you as well?"

She was quiet, and then finally whispered. "Hai."

"Good, so then shut up, all ready. We're here." He stopped in front of a door and flung it open, revealing a dark staircase. Leading the girl down the dark passageway, he stopped in front of another room and opened the door. He stood there holding the door open, silently expecting her to go on ahead of him.

Finally realizing what he wanted, she gasped and quickly passed by him, wincing as the door slammed shut behind her. "What can I do?" Her unease returned full blast when she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a laboratory. It was surrounded by shelves of books and strange chemicals in jars, with a gurney in the middle of the room. To Hinamori's left, over against the wall, two tubes large enough to fit a regular size person sat, filled with a light purple liquid. It looked like something she had seen in one of those horror books that were in the recovery room in Division 4. She shuddered.

"Please, if you would, Hinamori-fukutaicho," a woman stepped forward. "Lie down there."

"B-but, who are you?" Momo asked, uncertain of whether or not to trust this woman.

"Please, call me Nemu, and don't be afraid. I do not intend to do you any harm. Just lie there," she instructed.

Hinamori hesitantly obeyed, but found herself regretting the decision when the captain stepped forward and strapped her down. "W-wait a minute! What do you think you're doing?" She panicked.

He held up a needle and syringe. "Oh, don't worry, girl. You're not going to feel a thing." Grabbing for her arm, he slowly injected her with the substance in the needle.

Momo cried out, and tried to pull away, but soon all of her thoughts faded away and she found herself once again drifting away from the borders of consciousness.

Nemu glanced over at her creator and captain. "Mayuri-sama, what do you require?"

"Bring that medical monitoring equipment over here. We don't want the subject to die during the experimentation process, do we?" Once she had done as he asked, he hooked the girl up to it. He took out her Zanpakuto and set it beside her. Then he closed his eyes and began casting a kido spell over the girl, matching his reiatsu with hers. As he expected, her sword began resonating with them both and he stopped. "So I see," he muttered. He reached over and picked her sword up, unsheathing it. The metal flashed with reiatsu, both belonging to the girl and not. "I am going to run some tests on her Zanpakuto, Nemu. Watch the girl for any changes in her condition."

"As you wish, Mayuri-sama."

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_Fear gripped her heart. She was alone. That comforting presence that had promised to help her find herself was gone. "Where are you?" She cried. But, nothing. "Am I going to die alone, then? I am, aren't I? Who were you, and who am I?" Still receiving no answer, she shuddered in the darkness. "Please… Someone please find me." Her eyes squeezed shut and she dared not to open them until she heard something. Was it _his_ voice? No… It wasn't. But it felt familiar somehow, and she opened her eyes._

_She was flying. Flying through a dark forest. Faster, faster… Until she flew above the trees and into the sky. The girl gasped when a fortress came into view. A man with dark hair and dark eyes sneered coldly at her, and she realized that the fear had never gone away._

"_Hello. I'm coming for you. I will find you," he said._

_Her heart nearly stopped. "No… This is wrong! I don't want _you _to find me," she whispered pleadingly. "It has to be someone else!"_

_He was closer to her now, nearly breathing down the back of her neck and making her shiver in terror. "Time is running out for you… _Momo_."_

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Hinamori's scream rang out in the labs of the 12th Division, but no one heard it. They were too busy fighting off the hordes of arrancar that began pouring through gates appearing everywhere in the Soul Society.

The leader of the attack stood there, sneering down at the shinigami dying at his feet. "Time is running out for you… _Momo_."

**End of chapter 4.**

**Author's note:** I am not going to be home, so naturally I won't be able to update this weekend. I'm sorry, but I promise to have at least one chapter up next week before the next weekend, okay? Please let me know how you liked it. Thanks, guys! --Hallie


	5. Watermelon Tears

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A Quick Word From Me:** I am back from my crazy reunion alive, in one piece and writing once more. Thanks to KnowledgeandImagination (I'll try not to kill anyone XD), kRyStAlt3aRz (Momo's time won't run out! Not if Toshiro has anything to say about it anyway!), StardustQueen (Wow, that really makes me happy to hear you like it ^-^), Kinaia (I know, I don't either, Mayuri creeps me out), Panda-Fanda (I am extremely grateful that you took time to review, thank you!), xMidnight-Spiritx (Poor Momo indeed, that guy scares me O.o), and Neko-cheung (thank you and hope I didn't keep you waiting too long…), all for reviewing, and thanks to all readers for taking time to read this! I dedicate this to you! Without further delay, onto the story!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 5: Watermelon Tears**

It had been like this now for at least a couple of hours. Rangiku hissed in frustration, knocking her soul pager against the corner of Inoue's hardwood table. "This stupid thing is busted! Taicho, it keeps beeping and nothing is going on. I can't even call you now, see?" She complained, pressing the call button and tossing the useless device down on the table when nothing happened.

The boy captain sighed, rubbing his temples. "Matsumoto, would you stop throwing it around? It might actually work right if you treated it with a little more care than you do with all of your other possessions."

"Just what exactly are you implying, Taicho?" Matsumoto asked, pursing her lips out in feigned innocence.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "I've seen your living quarters. Don't think for a moment that you have me fooled."

"Fine, then," Matsumoto pouted. "Try yours."

"No need. Mine isn't working either." Hitsugaya shrugged helplessly. "But at least it will when our connection with the Soul Society is reestablished. Unlike yours." His teal eyes narrowed at her discarded device, which now lie on the table missing the back panel cover, which was lying beside it.

"Oh, oh! No, no!" Matsumoto realized what she'd done and picked it up, trying to put the back cover on. She breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to get it back on. "There we go. See? Good as new!" She noticed the grim expression on her captain's face. "Taicho? It's already been hours since we arrived here, and we haven't received any word from the Soul Society about the arrancar attacks here. The soul pagers have been practically useless. You don't think something happened over there, do you?"

He shook his head slowly. "We would have heard something. And I would hope that we would have felt something." His answer sounded logical to him. But for some reason, that logical answer did little to quell the uneasy feelings that were raging inside like a storm.

"I just put the finishing touches on my spicy carrot pudding! It's just a snack until dinner, though," Orihime cheerfully greeted her two guests, carrying a big bowl and three other tiny cups and spoons with it.

"Oh, wow, Inoue-chan, that looks delicious," Rangiku said, reaching for a cup and spoon. She passed the other cup and spoon over to Hitsugaya. "Taicho, you're going to want to have some of this or I'm afraid I'm going to eat it all!"

"Go right ahead," Hitsugaya muttered under his breath.

Orihime turned wide eyes to him. "What was that, Toshiro-kun?" She asked sweetly.

He cleared his throat. "I just said it looks great, I guess," he answered quickly.

"Oh, that's good. Here you go, Toshiro-kun," she said, spooning him up a 'healthy' (if that's what you'd call it) portion. She smiled proudly. "Now, that's all. You wouldn't want to spoil your dinner. Tonight we're having maple syrup stuffed egg rolls!"

"Really? I can't wait!" Toshiro couldn't believe that Rangiku could actually be _excited_ to eat something like that. Oh, wait, maybe he could believe it.

_Well, I guess this explains my unease,_ he thought to himself, struggling with himself to bring the spoon to his mouth. One quick gulp and he shivered despite himself.

"Ah, Taicho! See, I told you it was good, didn't I?" Rangiku beamed, and clapped her captain on the back.

"Let go of me," he rasped suddenly and disappeared into the bathroom, where they could hear some less than pleasant noises coming from seconds later. _One spoonful and I feel like I'm gonna die… Those two want me dead, I swear!_ He thought miserably as his stomach argued once again with what he'd just ingested. _Well, at least it can't get any worse._

Now, why is it, when someone says that, things always manage to get worse?

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She managed to free herself of the straps on the gurney and sat up. She could hear shouting and screaming coming from the floor above and quickly became uneasy. _I need to get out of here! _Momo spied her Zanpakuto lying over by the monitors inside of a glass case, and she took it. She didn't know how much damage, if any, she could inflict with it, but figured having a weapon was better than not having one. Her feet patted quietly against the hard floor in the damp hallways. It was then she realized how cold it was, and she was only wearing the thin gown from the 4th Division. She made her way to the upper floors, only to see dead bodies, shinigami and hollows alike, lying all over the floor. She gasped in horror.

"So, there you are. Aizen-sama will be sure to promote me if I capture you!" An especially wicked-looking arrancar stepped out in front of her. He had the face of a snake, with blood-red eyes and scaly arms with deadly-looking claws.

Horrified, Hinamori backed away and bolted, with a speed that she didn't even know that she'd possessed. Everywhere she turned, bloodied bodies and carnage lay strewn about. It was making her sick. In that entire mess, she could only think about one thing. _Hitsugaya-kun… where are you? _

"Think you can escape that easily?" A voice hissed closely behind her.

She screamed as a claw scraped along her side, and she was flung into the wall. "Who are you? What do… you want with me…" She struggled to stand but found that the gash that she now acquired was far too wide and her blood spilled onto the floor, making her weaker with each heartbeat.

"Simple. Aizen-sama wants the rest of your spirit's essence," the arrancar said stepping forward. "The rest of your memories."

"Is that why… I can't remember anything? You all took my memories." She fought to stand and pointed her sword at him.

"Hinamori-kun! There you are!" That man that had been called Kira stepped in front of her. "Don't move. I will tend to your wounds once I take care of him. Raise your head, Wabisuke!" He called upon his Zanpakuto and it changed its shape. "Prepare to die!" Now he was charging, and the fight didn't last more than a minute, with Kira victorious. He approached Momo and knelt down by her side. "We were lucky," he said. "It wasn't a very strong one." He closed his eyes, and concentrated his kido on mending some of her wounds. He stopped and held out a hand to her. "I'm sorry, but it's the best I can do for now. Do you think you'll still be able to run?"

She nodded breathlessly. She was thankful, even though her side was still in pain, the bleeding had stopped, and she was sure that she would make it. "Arigato, Kira-san."

He winced slightly at the formal way she used his name, but soon forgot it when a commotion was heard further down the hall. "Kuso, more of them." He pulled at Momo's hand. "Hinamori-kun, this way."

They ran, Momo chancing a glance back and realizing in horror that there were at least a dozen of those hollow closing in on them. "Kira…san…" She panted. "It… hurts and… I can't…" Her legs collapsed from underneath her.

"Hinamori-kun!" He stooped down and slung her over his shoulder, continuing his running, when they both found that they were surrounded.

She whimpered against his shoulder. "Kira-san… What will we do?"

"Stay behind me." At that point, it didn't matter to Kira Izuru if his friend didn't remember him. All that mattered was that deep inside, she was still the same person. And he still remembered and cared for her. Meaning that he was willing to give up his life protecting her if need be. He leapt forward, readying to strike…

…When a flash of a captain's haori and long white hair flew in front of him. Moments later, all of the pursuing arrancar collapsed. "Are you both all right?" Captain Ukitake asked. "I'm glad I made it in time."

"Ukitake-taicho, arigato," Izuru said in relief. "I've gathered from all of the hollow we have faced so far that they are after Hinamori-kun."

Ukitake nodded in agreement. "I believe that their whole reason for being here was to find Hinamori."

"All those people… they're dead because of… me?" Momo asked softly.

The captain widened his eyes and shook his head. "No, Hinamori-kun. That's not right. The hollow are the ones doing this, not you."

"B-but they're here because of me…" Guilt and sadness filled her, and her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Hinamori-kun, I know you feel bad," Ukitake started, "but we can't stay here. We're not safe. We need to get you away from here." He nodded to the 3rd Squad vice-captain. "Help her along and I'll clear the way."

The three made their way through the bloodied hallways of the stricken Seiretei, with Ukitake in the lead, clearing away the arrancar that attacked, and Kira half-carrying, half-dragging Hinamori with as she gasped for air. They made it to the wall, leading to the other districts. "What are we going to do with Hinamori-kun?" Izuru asked when they were finally out of sight of the arrancar for the moment.

"We don't have much time, and it's Hinamori-kun that Aizen wants. I don't have the permission to do so, but I can't afford to waste time asking Yamamoto So-taicho." Ukitake summoned a hell butterfly. "I'm sending you both to the world of the living. Find Kurosaki and Hitsugaya-taicho and inform them of the situation immediately!" The gate opened and he pushed Kira and Hinamori toward it. "Hurry!" He turned around only to find out once again that he was surrounded.

The last thing Kira saw before the gate closed was the 13th Squad captain engaged in yet another battle with several hollow. "Taicho!" He clenched his fists. Then, picked Hinamori up and raced for the world of the living. Just as they found it, they were met with several more arrancar. "Damn it! These things just don't stop, do they!? Raise your head, Wabisuke!" This time, the battle wasn't so easy. He remembered that his abilities were restricted in the world of the living and inwardly cursed. He managed to block three attacks at once, yet more kept coming. For every one he defeated, three more seemed to appear. Just then, a searing pain tore through his stomach and he looked down in disbelief as a Zanpakuto was withdrawn from his flesh.

"Kira-san!" Momo screamed in terror. She raced to his side worriedly.

"Hinamori-kun, don't be a fool… get… away," Kira managed before passing out.

She sobbed as she shook him. "Kira-san! Kira-san! Onegai! Open your eyes!" Quickly, her cries were silenced as she was struck from behind in the head.

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A beeping woke Hitsugaya up and he sat up groggily and looked at his soul pager. "Is it still acting strangely?" He wondered aloud. He'd returned to Orihime's guest room to sleep after getting quite sick on the strange food that he'd been forced to endure, so he felt a little sluggish still. His eyes widened when he saw the high count of hollow in the area. He wouldn't have believed his pager if he hadn't felt the immense reiatsu in the area. But, amongst that, although faint, he sensed another reiatsu. _Hinamori!_ He shot to his feet and popped the soul candy into his mouth, jumping out of his gigai. "Matsumoto!" He shouted and grimaced when he found his lieutenant passed out and holding onto a bottle of sake.

"Toshiro-kun, daijoubu desu ka?" Orihime came out of the bathroom. "Are you feeling any better? I was just about to make dinner."

"More or less. Inoue, I have to leave. Try to wake my lieutenant up, would you? And after that, find Kurosaki. I have a feeling that we're going to need all the help we can get." With that said, he left the girl up to the almost impossible task. He raced through the streets, following the slight trace of her reiatsu that he'd felt from before. He pushed himself to go faster, fearing for Momo's life. Just then, he spied her, with a hollow standing above her and readying itself to throw the killing blow. Hitsugaya wasted no time in releasing his Zanpakuto on the hollow. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" The powerful dragon of ice crashed into the unsuspecting foe and froze it instantly, along with the others in the area surrounding Momo. He used Shunpo and was by her side in an instant. "Hinamori!" He glanced over and noticed that Kira was slumped over her, blood pouring from a wound in his abdomen. Before he had a chance to react, several Menos Grande suddenly appeared on the scene, surrounding him and his two unconscious comrades. "Damn it…" He raised his Zanpakuto. "Bankai."

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"_He said your name. You know your name now, don't you, Momo? But I wouldn't trust him. Something tells me that he is the one who hurt you."_

_Momo just held the sword to her. "Everyone is dying because of me."_

"_Do you truly believe that?"_

"_I don't know. But I know that Shiro-chan is near. I can feel him." Momo's voice trembled and tears flowed freely from her eyes. "I don't want him to die because of me, too. If anything were ever to happen to him because of me…"_

"_Then tell me what my name is. Tell me, so I can help you, Momo."_

"_I don't know your name!"_

"_Lies! You know my name. The second that he spoke your name, he freed you and gave you that part of your memory."_

"_B-but… I…"_

"_Do it! Or they'll die!"_

_She had a horrible feeling. She didn't want to. But Momo did. Her eyes squeezed shut, she screamed, "_Tobiume!_"_

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"_Tobiume!_" Hitsugaya turned in surprise to see Momo standing, her spirit energy rising. Tears were streaming down her face and she screamed, "_Hajike!_" The energy from her Zanpakuto was released and exploded into the remaining arrancar, effectively annihilating every single one.

He stood there in shock for a moment, mouth open, trying to speak the words but his vocal chords wouldn't obey him. But when she sank to her knees he rushed to her side in an instant. "Momo, are you okay?"

She didn't hear him. She could see him, but at the same time a horrendous memory flooded her vision. She looked at him and lowered her eyes to the sword in her lap. It was the same as in her dream. There was no mistaking it. "No… Hitsugaya-kun… no, please tell me I didn't…"

"_I finally found you." The sword, which she now knew was in her own hands, was pointed at the throat of her best friend. "Aizen-taicho's murderer!"_

"Hinamori?" Hitsugaya asked softly. He put a hand on her shoulder.

She shuddered and dropped the sword she'd been holding. "W-what have I done?" The guilt tore at her. It was as if she'd witnessed this for the first time, and it was too much to bear. How could she have hurt her best friend like that?

He could sense that something was wrong, but he didn't know what. "What is it, Hinamori?" He asked urgently.

She smiled shakily. "N-nothing," she lied. "I remembered Tobiume! Isn't that great?" That fake smile was back. That horrible expression. The face Hinamori had when she was pretending that she was happy. But her eyes always spoke of her true feelings. Hitsugaya hated that face worse than her tears.

"Toshiro!" Kurosaki interrupted before he could further interrogate Momo. "I came as soon as Inoue called me! Where did they all go?"

"They're gone, for now. But they'll be back." He noticed Orihime jogging up with Matsumoto to meet them. "Inoue, can you heal them?"

"Oh!" Her eyes widened in concern. "Of course!" She knelt beside Kira and called for Ayame, healing the wounds to his abdomen. Then she hurried over to Momo and did the same for her. Afterwards, she led Hitsugaya, Kira, Rangiku, and Momo back to her place. "Gosh, it's getting kind of crowded, so you guys are going to have to share beds."

"It's fine, Orihime-chan," Rangiku said with a mischievous grin as she glanced over at Hinamori and Hitsugaya. "We'll manage for tonight."

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Not wanting to suffer due to Orihime's strange cooking, and definitely not wanting to put Momo through that torture, Toshiro slipped out for awhile and returned with a surprise for her. When he found her, she was seated by the window, staring out at the moon, deep in thought. "Oy, Hinamori, come here for a second."

She turned to look at him. "Hai, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Come on, I have something for us, but we have to be outside to get it," he said softly, with a small smile.

Hinamori followed him outside, slightly curious, when she stopped suddenly and stared at what he was holding. "It's… a watermelon," she said softly.

He nodded and cut two edges of it off, handing one to her. "Yeah, we used to sit on Obaa-san's porch and eat these in the summer, remember?"

The dark-haired girl said nothing, but just sat down beside him and stared at him as he took a bite into the moist fruit. She could feel it. That pain she'd often been feeling as of late was returning. Suddenly, she was hit with a vision of Toshiro, but definitely a younger version of him, eating through sections of watermelon as someone sat beside him. But she couldn't figure out who. Her hands tightened around the section of fruit that she held as the pain worsened, and she vaguely realized that she was trembling. A whimper escaped, despite her best efforts to hold it in.

Toshiro reached over, worry etched into his expression. "Hinamori, what is it?"

She glanced over at him, smiling and trying to cover the pain, both physical and emotional. "Daijoubu," she whispered. It was getting to be too much to bear for her, though. She couldn't understand why this boy that sat next to her, who was her childhood friend, could continue to care so much about her after what she'd done to him. It had been bothering her since she'd rediscovered that horrible memory earlier. Why was he being so kind and gentle with her? She didn't deserve it! With that thought, another pain, more intense this time, overtook her once again. A tear fell, landing on the watermelon that she held tightly in her hands.

"Momo, are you crying?" Toshiro leaned closer to her, now worried without a doubt. "What's wrong?"

"Daijoubu…" More tears fell, landing on the watermelon, and she trembled all the more. "Daijoubu, Hitsugaya-kun…" She then cried out, unable to stand the pain any longer.

Hitsugaya cast his slice of watermelon aside and grabbed Hinamori by the shoulders. "Momo! Tell me what's wrong!"

She found she couldn't do anything, or say anything. Her shoulders shook as she leaned forward and wailed into his shoulder like a lost child. She felt him stiffen, and wrap his arms awkwardly around her. She felt the warmth besides the pain that tore through her, though it worsened, she could somehow feel it fading… fading… Then, she felt nothing.

Hitsugaya's stomach lurched in fear when Hinamori went limp in his arms. "Hinamori! Hinamori!? Momo! Answer me! Daijoubu desu ka?!"

Drawn outside by the commotion, Matsumoto and Inoue appeared. "Taicho?" His lieutenant questioned.

"Is Momo-chan all right?" Orihime asked, her hands covering her mouth.

"We need to get on the line with Unohana, now!" Toshiro demanded, standing with Momo in his arms. "There's something more going on here that she hasn't told me. I know there is!"

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The Seiretei had been dealt a grievous blow, but so had the arrancar. Finally, Aizen had pulled back, exiting the Soul Society when he'd realized that Hinamori wasn't there anymore. The head captain called all of the other captains for a meeting, which of course the only captain missing was the one in the world of the living at the moment. "Ukitake-taicho, I am disappointed that you did not receive permission to open the gate to the world of the living, but I will overlook that misdeed on your part. Because of what you did, you stopped Aizen from recovering Hinamori-fukutaicho, which turned the situation once again to our favor." The elder turned his gaze toward the 12th Squad captain. "Kurotsuchi-taicho, have you found anything from your time with her?"

Unohana Retsu in turn also raised her head and stared in Mayuri's direction. She wanted to be at full attention for his answer. _Hopefully for Hinamori's sake he found something out._

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have. She is directly linked with Aizen through her reiatsu, and in turn is resonating with Hueco Mundo itself. She seems to be recovering bits and pieces of fragmented memories, but it won't be enough." He stared back at Unohana. "She will die unless something is done. Her soul is overcompensating for the loss of her memories, and is slowly draining her reiatsu away. She is recovering some memories this way, but at too great of a cost. Aizen also somehow has control over the reiatsu that Hinamori-fukutaicho is losing."

Unohana found herself speaking up next. "I think that it's time to take all of her burdening responsibilities of being a ranked officer away for now. I request, as the one in charge of her primary care, that Hinamori-fukutaicho be relieved of her duties as lieutenant until this crisis has passed, and if he allows it, I would like for her to be transferred over to the 10th Squad under the supervision of Hitsugaya Toshiro-taicho."

Yamamoto nodded. "It is for the best, I, too, believe that Hinamori should be temporarily demoted. However, you will have to contact Hitsugaya-taicho to confirm his consent on the matter after this meeting."

"Understood," she said softly. Now that Mayuri had the data on Hinamori, she would be of no use to him for now. He could further investigate the connection between her and Aizen, and perhaps find the cause. In the meantime, Hinamori could return to the care of the one person she would feel most comfortable with. And so, the meeting continued on and only after some decisions were made did it draw to a conclusion…

**End of chapter 5.**

**Author's note: **Has anyone ever watched AIR TV? It's a really beautiful anime. The scene with Momo crying over the watermelon was actually inspired by a touching scene from AIR. Everyone who's seen that anime probably knows what scene I'm talking about. Anyhow, please review and tell me your thoughts on it? Thank you!--Hallie


	6. An Ordinary Life

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A quick word from me: **I felt that the story was getting far too depressing, and so, since this fit into the story anyway, I decided to add a couple chapters that are actually a bit more light and fluffy. I wanted a couple more chapters focused on the innocent 'puppy love' that our Peach and Whitey seem to have going. That said, don't worry, plenty more angst to come, so just enjoy the happiness for the next couple chapters okay? Trust me, it won't last. Thank you to KnowledgeandImagination, kRyStAlt3aRz, TheyAreNext, StardustQueen, Lumina, and xMidnight-Spiritx for reviewing. Thanks a lot for reading as well! Here's the next chapter (before the weekend yay) as promised!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 6: An Ordinary Life**

Frustrated that he couldn't get into contact with the captain of the 4th Squad, Hitsugaya took Hinamori and headed over to Urahara's shop. He stood in front of the door, hesitating only a second before knocking. The door opened, and there stood the shopkeeper himself, with a bemused grin. "Well, hello there, Captain of the 10th Division," he greeted in a humorous tone. "Believe it or not, I was expecting you."

"Why am I not surprised?" The boy muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" The elder man arched an eyebrow.

Hitsugaya corrected himself. "How did you know?"

"Come on in, and I'll show you," the shopkeeper moved aside, allowing the boy to pass with the unconscious girl in his arms. "Hmm, it looks like your friend is a bit under the weather, isn't she?"

Any snapping reply that Hitsugaya was about to make died at his lips. He gasped when he entered the living room of Urahara's place. "U-Unohana-taicho!"

The woman stood up and moved over to the other captain. "I must apologize. I know you must have tried to contact us, but the communications were knocked out due to the arrancar attack. They are still working to fix the problems. So I came here, because I have something to discuss with you. It's about Hinamori-kun and what was said at the captain's meeting."

He noticed that she hadn't addressed Momo as a vice-captain and became wary. "All right. Tell me after you take a look at her." His icy emerald eyes narrowed at the captain before him. "And no more hiding the truth. Tell me everything. What's _really _wrong with Hinamori. It is something serious, isn't it?" He set the girl gently down on the floor so the healer could examine her.

The woman knelt before her and checked her over. "She's merely unconscious." She looked up at Hitsugaya.

"Before she fainted, she had a fit. She was screaming in pain. There's something wrong with her. I know it." Hitsugaya crossed his arms.

"That is partially what I wanted to speak with you about." Unohana straightened up to her full height. "And you as well, Urahara-san," she said, turning to the man. "Yes, Hitsugaya-taicho. It is serious. Very serious, in fact. Hinamori is dying."

"What!? How can that be?" The young captain clenched his fists.

"Kurotsuchi-taicho managed to collect some data on her and has been studying it. She has a connection with Hueco Mundo and resonates with it through her dissipating reiatsu. Her soul is slowly losing its energy as it is trying to regain the memories she's lost. All of the energy she's losing is flowing to Hueco Mundo and Aizen has control over it. Eventually, she will fall into a coma and die if this isn't stopped." Unohana paused to allow her words to sink in.

The shock on the boy's face was only there for a moment, before his expression hardened once more. "How long does she have?"

"That we can't really tell. Some days she barely loses any of her energy, while others she has lost a substantial amount. However, every time she recovers a memory, she is weakening. Which is why, for now, we must not encourage her to regain any of her lost memories. Until the cause of what's happening to Hinamori is discovered, she must stay out of Aizen's sight, and her reiatsu must be prevented from leaving her. She must not use her powers as a shinigami, either, which is why she has been demoted from vice-captain, and with your permission, I would like to have her transferred into your squad, under your care."

He straightened. "Of course you have my permission!"

"You are being assigned to the world of the living until further notice. Both you and Matsumoto-fukutaicho. Hinamori is to stay with you under your protection." She turned to Urahara Kisuke. "This is where we will need your help on."

"A gigai," he stated flatly.

"Yes, one that will suppress Hinamori's spirit energy and conceal it, like what was given to Kuchiki Rukia," Unohana replied.

He stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Follow me, and bring her with you." Kisuke adjusted his hat and turned, walking through the door.

Both captains followed him, with the girl in tow. They came to a tiny stockroom, and stopped in there. "Urahara-san?" The 4th Squad captain inquired.

"You know the risks of this gigai. Hinamori-san could be made human forever," he said. "An ordinary girl."

"I'd rather chance that than have her die," Toshiro said quietly.

"All right, then. Let's get started."

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The first thing that Momo noticed when she opened her eyes was that she was a bit chilly. She shivered and sat up. The next thing she noticed was her surroundings. She was in a room she'd never been in before. Shakily, she stood, wondering where she was. "Hello?" She called, wandering outside of the room.

"Hinamori, you're finally awake," Hitsugaya's voice startled her.

"Ah!?" She whirled around in surprise.

Even though she was a bit irritated at him for sneaking up on her, she couldn't miss the small relieved smile that crossed his expression as he said, "I'm glad." The boy's frosty emerald eyes held her gaze. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Hitsugaya-kun," she answered with a smile of her own.

He frowned when he noticed her shivering, and walked over to the window, closing it. He picked up a blanket that was sitting in the corner of the room, and handed it to her. "Here, cover up, so you don't get any sicker."

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Her voice held a questioning tone to it. _What do you mean by me getting sicker? Am I sick? _She hesitated to ask him, however, not sure if she really wanted to know. _I trust you, Hitsugaya-kun, and I know if things got bad, you would tell me if you knew something._

"Hinamori, for now, you are going to stay here in the world of the living. Until we can find out what exactly has happened to your memories, it has been decided that you are to be relieved of the position of 5th Division lieutenant and transferred over to my squad under my supervision." He held out his hand. "I'm sorry, but I need you to hand over your Zanpakuto," he said softly.

"Tobiume? But why?" Momo asked warily, clutching her sword to her side.

"Because, as it is right now, it is nothing more than a burden to you. And more examination has to be done on it. Hand it over, Hinamori," he answered.

"But, Hitsugaya-kun, I can't!"

"_Now_, Hinamori!" His tone raised as he began to lose his temper. He couldn't help it; that sword was killing her and she didn't even know it. So by foolishly holding onto that Zanpakuto, she was willing her life away.

Her jaw was set and she frowned in determination. "No!"

"Baka! Do you want to die?"

Momo's grip loosened on the sword at his words. "Die? What do you mean?"

He took this opportunity to quickly force it from her grasp. "For now, you must concentrate on being a normal human girl. Nothing else. Don't worry about your memories, or anything else for now. Please, Hinamori," he said as his aqua eyes softened at her. "Just trust me. I will be here looking out for you."

Her lip trembled. "But… I… We only now just found each other again…"

Hitsugaya nodded in understanding. "I know that, Hinamori," he said softly. He sympathized, truly he did. If he was separated from Hyourinmaru that way, he knew that he would be extremely upset, and would probably react worse than Hinamori was. But he also knew that if it was an order, and if it was dangerous to his health for him to have Hyourinmaru, he would turn his Zanpakuto over without further question. He felt the need to say something else, to try to comfort his friend. "Look, Hinamori, this isn't forever. This is just until we can fix the problems, all right?"

"I understand, Hitsugaya-kun," she replied quietly, resigned to the decision. What other choice did she have? Now that Tobiume was out of her grasp, she felt incredibly lonely. She was silent when they left Urahara's and made it back to Inoue's place. When Kira greeted her as he was leaving, Momo just simply nodded to him.

Her friend felt awful. He hated taking Tobiume away, but he knew that they were out of other options right now. After Kira left, it was nightfall, and they had all gotten ready for bed. Hitsugaya lay there staring at the dark ceiling, thinking on the events of the day. When a small figure appeared in his room, he knew who it was, and immediately slid over, stretching his arms out and allowing her to climb in beside him.

"Hitsugaya-kun," she whimpered. "I'm lonely without her." Momo lay down beside him and snuggled against him.

"I know," he replied gently. "It's okay." His arms went around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his chest. His heart was hammering inside his chest due to the closeness, but he ignored it. "Get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

Momo nodded. "Thank you… Shiro-chan."

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho, Bed Wetter."

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"Ack! Oh, no! Everyone! It's time to get up! We have to go to school!" Orihime's frantic voice broke through the peaceful morning. "Oh, gosh, I picked a horrible day to forget to set the alarm. I'm so sorry, everyone!"

Toshiro was up and dressed, and shaking Momo who still slept in the tiny bed she had shared with him. "Baka, get up or you're going to be late!" He shook her harder and finally she opened her eyes.

"Hmm? Shiro-chan, don't be so mean in the mornings…"

"Do you want to be late the first day?" He demanded.

The girl's doe-brown eyes shot open. "W-what?! Oh, no!" She bolted upright and raced over to the closet and pulled out a uniform that Orihime had hung out for her the night before. She threw off her pajama top, much to Toshiro's embarrassment.

"Baka, don't strip in front of me!"

"Shiro-chan, you pervert! Don't _look_ at me!" Momo shrieked in retaliation.

"As if I'd want to look at you! You still look like a little kid!"

She had finished dressing and pushed past Toshiro in the room. "Look who's calling who little anyway, Shiro-chan!" She shot back.

"For the hundredth time, it's Hitsugaya-taicho," he snapped, following her out the door. The bantering went on during the walk, or rather, _run_ to school on their first day. They certainly didn't want to be late.

"I-I think… we made it," Inoue panted as she ran with them. "This way, guys!" The four 'students' burst through the classroom door just as the last bell rang.

Hinamori wanted to collapse and take a nap right there but she couldn't unfortunately. She was standing in front of the entire class, and was not familiar with any of them. Well, except for Chad, Ichigo, Rukia, and Uryu who sat facing her.

"Hey, Inoue," Ichigo called. "What happened to you guys? You okay? You were nearly late!"

"Oh, yes, don't worry about us, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime returned. "I just forgot to set my alarm this morning."

"Rise! Bow!" A student all of a sudden called out, and the others obeyed, even Ichigo and the others. "Be seated."

"Good morning, everyone. I have three new students to introduce to you today who have all transferred in from another part of Japan. This is Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya Toshiro, and Hinamori Momo. Please be patient and kind while showing them the ropes around here. In no time, you three will feel right at home, I promise." The teacher smiled at the three students. You three will sit over in those desks." She pointed at the desks near the corner of the room. "Please be seated now until I take attendance."

All three did as they were told. While the teacher called on the others, Hitsugaya stared out the window thoughtfully. He wondered about what had gone on in Soul Society. He knew Momo herself had hardly known anything, other than they were attacked, and Kira had left before he could really ask any details. Why hadn't he received any communication from them? The other thing that bothered him was Tobiume, Momo's Zanpakuto. Momo had been inside of her reiatsu suppressing gigai, and the sword was separated from her, but still kept its shape. Normally, without the spirit energy to sustain it, wouldn't it have been long gone by now? Still, it sat up in Urahara's shop under the close watch of Ururu and Jinta.

"…Toshiro… Hitsugaya Toshiro. _Hitsugaya Toshiro!"_

"Huh?" He glanced back. _Oops._ The teacher had been calling on him. "Present," he muttered while a few giggles erupted throughout the room.

"That is wonderful, Hitsugaya-san. Would you please stay present with us throughout the day as well?" She said in a scolding tone.

He bit back a heated reply. He had to remember, here in the world of the living, he wasn't a captain. Right now he was just an ordinary human boy in school who had just been scolded for not paying attention. _This is going to be more difficult than I thought. I wonder how Hinamori is going to handle this._ Hitsugaya caught himself glancing her way, only to find that she was one of the students who had been giggling. _I guess so far she's doing better than I am,_ he thought with a grimace. _I suppose I should start taking this 'ordinary' thing a little more seriously._ He was supposed to be a child prodigy, after all. He should act it, right? So from that moment on, he decided that he would, if only for the childish reason to see Hinamori's expression when he did better than she did at being ordinary as well.

The day was going by rather quickly, with Momo, Toshiro, and Rangiku each becoming accustomed to their classes. They each took placement classes, with Rangiku being held back in the average bunch of students while both Momo and Toshiro were in the class with the advanced students. At the end of the day, all that could be heard was Rangiku's whining. "Oh, come on, Taicho! That wasn't fair! Why was I stuck with the stupid kids?"

"They aren't stupid, Matsumoto," her captain returned. "They just aren't ready to take any classes that are more advanced than the level of education they are now at. You may have been put in with Hinamori and I had you been a little more serious than you were about studying for the placement exam. They did give you an hour to study. What were you doing with that time?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I was…" Matsumoto thought back, remembering the teacher shaking her awake and scolding her for snoring during the study period. "…studying, of course, Taicho."

"Uh-huh," he said, not believing a word of it.

"It's okay, Matsumoto-san," Momo said with a bright smile. "Just try a little harder next time and you will do fine!" She looked over at Toshiro and frowned. "I just don't understand how you placed thirty points higher than I did."

Fighting the urge to gloat further, he looked at her. "Oh, come on Hinamori, you still passed with flying colors didn't you? That's all that really counts."

"But you got a _perfect_ score out of 400 points! How is that even possible for some of those answers?" She eyed him suspiciously. "Did you cheat?"

He rolled his eyes and chose not to answer the stupid question. "We're just about there. Inoue said that she was staying after to practice with that girl Arisawa, so she won't be home." _Which means we won't be suffering with her strange recipes for tonight at least._ He opened the door to Orihime's apartment and sat himself down in front of her little table, instantly becoming immersed in homework that had been given to him.

"Taicho, homework already? Come on! Give me a break!"

"Do what you want, Matsumoto. Just remember the reason why you are stuck with the so-called stupid kids," he replied. "But if you're going to be so loud, maybe you should try occupying yourself with something."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're boring. I'm outta here! Hinamori-chan! Wanna join me at the karaoke bar?" She began pulling Momo away.

Toshiro stood defensively. "Matsumoto," he growled warningly.

"I'm very sorry, Matsumoto-san, but I need to finish my homework. Remember? The teacher said that if we scored ninety-eight percent or above on our tests at the end of this term, and maintained an average of ninety-six percent, we'd be able to spend a day at an amusement park!"

"The end of the term is three weeks away! Plenty of time to goof around now. But, fine, if you don't want to go, I won't force you to have a good time, I suppose. Well, see you both later," his lieutenant said, walking out the door.

Hinamori sat beside Hitsugaya and pulled out her own textbooks. "Why don't we study together, Shiro-chan?" She asked, smiling.

"Sure, whatever. Just shut up so I can concentrate, and stop calling me Shiro-chan!"

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The three weeks passed by rather quickly, with no further news from the Soul Society, other than a few hollow exterminations here and there. The day before the test had come, and four students sat crowded around the table, trying to study despite the cramped quarters.

"Matsumoto, how about moving so someone who has a chance at passing this can study. We all know you're going to fail anyway," Hitsugaya snapped when she pushed him for the tenth time. "You didn't study at all before this."

"It's called power-studying," she defended. "It works. And I will pass! You'd better not chicken out on the roller-coasters!"

"Like those scare me!" He snorted.

"I'll be happy if we don't go to any haunted houses," Hinamori was saying.

"Aw, but those are my favorite," Orihime protested.

Hitsugaya turned to stare at his childhood friend. "_Haunted?_ Hinamori, we're shinigami. What possible reason would you have to be afraid of spirits? Those aren't even real!"

"I don't like things startling me, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Would you guys shut up? I'm trying to study!" Rangiku snapped.

"Oh, no," Orihime said. "Maybe you shouldn't have waited until today to do all of your homework."

"That's Matsumoto for you," Hitsugaya reasoned.

The hours passed, and soon they realized that they had spent the whole night studying. So the four weary students trudged to school in the morning, each hoping for the best in their tests.

"Okay class, this test is out of 400 points once again. This counts as one half of your final grade, so you will want to pay attention," the teacher said, handing the tests out. "Whoever scores ninety-eight percent or above on this exam, and has an average of ninety-six percent or above, will be able to go for a field day at Karakura's amusement park. However for those that don't make it, there is still the evening school festival to attend, so you will have a wonderful time as well.

Ichigo and Rukia looked nervous, Uryu looked almost bored, Orihime almost looked like she was _happy_ for some strange reason, Chad's expression remained calm and passive, Rangiku looked like she was falling asleep, while Hitsugaya and Hinamori had determination lit up in their eyes.

_I am going to score a perfect. That way I know for sure I'll beat her!_

_Hang on, amusement park! Here I come!_

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The students sat in nervous silence for the remainder of the period as their tests were graded. Finally, the teacher stood and called each of their names, handing them the results of their tests. Toshiro stepped up to receive his, and smirked slightly when he saw the perfect mark on his test. He looked over at Momo, who seemed equally as pleased. He walked over to her and showed her his paper. "I'm going. How about you."

A pout formed on her face for a moment but changed into an excited grin. "Well, I'm going too! I had 394 out of 400! Only six wrong! Your tutoring really helped me!"

"Baka, you did it yourself," he retorted. "I only sat next to you and studied."

"Taicho…" Rangiku came over to him, whining. "I only scored a 304, so I can't go."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Hitsugaya snapped. "It was your own fault for drinking when you should have been studying and doing your homework!"

"But now I have study hall for the entire daaay…" She moaned.

He smirked. "Serves you right."

"Cheer up, Matsumoto-san, at least you get to come to the festival in the evening with us later, right?" Momo said consolingly.

"I guess that's true," the woman said, smiling a bit at the thought.

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That night, Toshiro found Momo sitting outside and staring up at the moon. She turned to him as he sat down beside her and she smiled at him. "Tomorrow, Hitsugaya-kun… Let's make a happy memory, together. I want a memory to look back and smile on, always." The wind blew, and she shivered a bit, leaning closer to her childhood friend for warmth.

Which he wasted no time in providing, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "All right, Hinamori. I promise that tomorrow's memories will be happy ones, then."

**End of chapter 6.**

**Author's note: **There is going to be a couple chapters of mostly good things. Not very many sad things. I'm well into the next chapter and let's just say that this is a challenge for me. Please forgive if it seems a bit too forced (because it certainly does to me). I just am far better suited for sadness. I wanted to make a couple more chapters where good things actually happen; that way Hitsugaya and Hinamori have some happiness together to add to all the drama, and have a chance to, ahem, develop the relationship a bit more. Anyway, tell me how you liked it if you have a chance! Reviews are always appreciated! Thank you so much to everyone! Take care till the weekend! I'll try to get another chapter posted by the end of the weekend.-- Hallie


	7. Memories of Happiness

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**Quick word from me: **Thanks to kRyStAlt3aRz, KnowledgeandImagination, StardustQueen, and xMidnight-Spiritx for reviewing. I totally dedicate this to you guys. Your reviews give me further inspiration! Thanks! And thank you readers as well!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 7: Memories of Happiness**

Surprisingly, when Momo awoke, she was wide awake, even if she'd gotten very little sleep. She was just so excited. Orihime and Rangiku had helped to pick out an outfit to wear, both gushing about her 'date' with Toshiro. She wasn't so sure about that, but she was so glad to be able to do something like that with him. It had been forever since they'd been able to be, well, _young _together. They all had decided that she wear a white bikini, with pink flowers sewn on the sides. Over it she wore a denim skirt, and a denim vest to match that. She had wanted to wear something over her bikini top, but Rangiku had insisted she leave it be, pushing her out to where Hitsugaya was waiting for her to get ready.

He looked up, noticing her attire, and how her hair was left alone to fall down her shoulders. Hitsugaya couldn't stop a blush. _Damn it! I can't be thinking about Hinamori like this!_ "Ready yet?" He said in his normal annoyed tone, looking away from her. He himself was wearing a light blue silk button up T-shirt over a white tank top and a pair of dark blue swimming trunks.

"Hai! Ano… Hitsugaya-kun… Does this… _look_ okay?" She asked shyly, twirling around for him to get a full view of her.

"Why ask me?" He snapped, embarrassed. She didn't just look _okay._ She looked downright beautiful! And that was going to be a problem for him. He noticed the hurt look in her eyes and softened. "Hai, Hinamori. You look very… cute." He couldn't believe that word was spilling from his mouth. His face turned even redder.

"Aw, Taicho is blushing! That's so adorable!" Rangiku teased, coming into the room. "She looks gorgeous, doesn't she?"

"Don't you have study hall today?" Her captain asked irritably.

"Hai," she said, dejectedly. "Have fun. Poor little me is stuck in boring study hall for the day…"

Orihime waved to them. "I should be going, too. I was going to go with Ishida-kun and Tatsuki-chan since Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun were stuck in study hall too. And since Sado-kun was going to stay with them…" She shrugged. "You both have fun!" She bolted out the door.

"Come on or we'll miss the bus," he mumbled, taking a hold of her hand. Big mistake. His heart started racing.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Momo asked innocently. _Too _innocently.

"Quit messing around! Do you wanna miss it?" He pulled her along, running down the street. _It's too hot out here,_ he thought grumpily. He was suddenly feeling very irritated with himself for agreeing to go along with Hinamori. He absolutely _hated_ the heat! And today had to be one of the hottest days of the season. But one look at her running behind him and he just knew that he couldn't back down.

She was smiling. No, more than that, she was laughing. "Hitsugaya-kun! You're going too fast!" She was laughing so hard she found it hard to breathe as she ran.

Toshiro knew then that he had to endure the heat, just for today. He wanted to keep that smile on Momo's face all day. He slowed his pace and they made it to the bus stop just in time. Once they got on, he sighed in relief at the air conditioning.

"Hitsugaya-kun? Will you be all right?" Momo asked worriedly.

"Hai. Don't worry about me."

"I have to. I know how much you hate the heat," she said softly. "When we get there, would you like to go to the water park first?"

"If that's what you want, Bed Wetter."

She slapped his shoulder playfully. "Shiro-chan! That's mean! I was just worried about you! Why did you have to bring up that nick name here?"

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. But is that what you want, Hinamori?"

"Yes! We will go on all of the water rides! Go swimming! Eat some ice-cream!" She giggled. "Watermelon flavored! And after, we'll ride the really tall rides to dry off!" She was silent for awhile as she looked out the window. "It's amazing here, Hitsugaya-kun," she said softly. "I wish that we could stay here together… forever."

He chanced a glance at her only to find her eyes fixed to him. "W-what?"

Her gaze didn't waver. "That way, it wouldn't matter to me who I was. All that matters would be who I am now, and you, Hitsugaya-kun." _His eyes are so beautiful… Please, Hitsugaya-kun, look at me._

His blue-green eyes met hers. "Hinamori…" He found himself unconsciously leaning into her, almost in a trance. _Why do I keep thinking about her this way…?_

"Toshiro-kun! You both made it!" Orihime's voice interrupted, and they both jumped back, startled.

"Inoue! Ishida!" Hitsugaya recovered first. "I thought you left before we did."

"That one was full, so we ended up on this one," Orihime answered with a giggle. "But it looks like we're here," she said excitedly. "I can't wait to try their deep fried candy bars!"

The boy prodigy raised an eyebrow at her. _Is food all she thinks about?_

Momo grabbed his hand and pulled him up anxiously when the bus stopped. "Shiro-chan, let's go!" She led him over to the group of students being allowed into the park. Once they were in the clear, she half-dragged him over to the water park. Once there, they separated to go into the changing rooms there. Momo took off her shoes, skirt and vest and set them inside the locker. She then stepped outside into the pool area, looking for Hitsugaya. "Where is he?"

"Right behind you."

"Aaaack!" She whirled around and came face to face with him, giving him a full frontal close-up of her bikini-clad figure.

He stared for a long moment, and his cheeks were tinted pink. "Hinamori," he said, flustered. "Put some clothes on, for crying out loud!"

"This is my bathing suit, Hitsugaya-kun!" She argued. "You have yours on so what's the big deal? Let's go!" She took off toward a waterslide, leaving her childhood friend to follow her, lest he lose sight of her. She raced to the slide, and found that it had a rather short line to it. Once at the top, she caught sight of Toshiro running up after her and flashed him a mischievous smile before jumping down the waterslide into the pool.

"Hinamori!" He called after her. _This isn't a game! What if she gets lost? _He thought to himself with a frown. He followed her down the slide into the pool and swam after her.

"Gotcha, Shiro-chan!" He turned and was met with a wave of water.

He sputtered. "Oh, so you wanna play like that?" He said in a low voice. He sent a wave splashing into her, then another, and another and kept splashing until she began coughing and sputtering.

"Okay, okay, you win," she breathed. "Please just stop, okay?"

The white-haired boy smirked mischievously. "Okay." His hands dropped to his sides. "We've spent almost a half hour in here fooling around. Now what do _you_ want to do?"

"But, Shiro-chan, you don't like it when it's so hot, and since I dragged you out here, I thought that you'd just be happy here."

"Baka, I thought I told you that we were going to make some happy memories for the _both_ of us and that includes you," he said, flicking her nose. "Now get dressed. I'm fine. You said ice-cream after this right? Then that's our next stop. I'll meet you by the gate, okay?" He left her to gather his belongings and waited for her just outside the gate of the pool area. It was still unbearably hot outside, but he felt a little better now that he'd been swimming in the cool water for a time. Maybe they could head back there after a bit if it got too warm for him.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" She was back in her denim skirt and vest. "Let's go!" She smiled and they walked side-by-side. She couldn't begin to say how much she was just enjoying the feeling of the sun warming her skin and watching the crowds of people around her. It began to get more crowded and someone pushed her, nearly knocking her to the ground. Momo managed to catch herself but when she looked around, she realized that in her distracted state, she'd lost Toshiro. "Shiro-chan!" She called out. "Hitsugaya-kun? Where are you?" Hinamori began to get a little nervous, being all alone out there. _Come to think of it, we forgot to set a meeting place. Maybe I should look for him at the nearest ice cream stand?_ She took off running, nearly slamming in to people left and right. Finally, she made it and looked for him. Momo began to panic when she still didn't see her snowy-haired friend anywhere. She sat dejectedly down on the bench. Several minutes passed and she felt more worried still. Her shoulders slumped forward and her head bowed, her eyes staring at her hands in her lap helplessly.

Just then, a vanilla ice cream cone was shoved right into her line of view. "Here, take it," Hitsugaya's voice commanded, its tone halfway annoyed and amused.

The raven-haired girl looked up at her friend, relief washing over her features. "Oh, Hitsugaya-kun!" She leapt forward and hugged him forcefully. "I was beginning to get scared!"

He stiffened. "Hey, cut that out, Bed Wetter! You're always scared of something. Storms, bugs, dreams… is there something you're not scared of?" He teased lightly pulling away and once again offering the melting cone to her. "Here, take this already!"

"Arigato," she said softly, accepting it.

"Come on, let's scout out and see what we want to do next." He began walking again, but hesitated a moment when her other arm locked around his. "Hinamori, what are you-?"

"I'm not losing you again, Shiro-chan," she answered.

A small smile formed on his lips. "Okay." He led the girl beside him around, both of them looking at tiny shops and different rides. He noticed that she still had a tight grip on his arm, and chanced a glance at her, but looked away when he felt a blush coming on. What was wrong with him? He'd known that he had always been fiercely protective of Hinamori, since they were children even. He'd always cared about her and she was never far from his thoughts, but lately, probably since the whole incident with Aizen had first started, he'd begun to realize that his feelings for her were changing. When he'd found her lying there lifeless on the floor in a pool of her own blood, he'd nearly died inside himself. Hitsugaya shook his head._ Bad thoughts, _he chided himself. He then looked back at Momo, and studied her while she was preoccupied with finishing her cone. _She's really grown beautiful,_ he thought to himself, face reddening at those thoughts. _I've never had these thoughts about her before. What's going on? I've always felt this way about her, but… it's different now._ He had the same feelings; that protective feeling, needing to ensure her happiness and safety, the satisfaction of feeling wanted and needed, but new feelings were adding to that. Hitsugaya's heart began pounding as he recalled holding her to him on some of those past nights recently. Of how well their bodies seemed to fit next to each other. He broke from those thoughts and once again stared at his best friend. He glanced at her outfit yet again; she looked so cute in it. Then again, she was always pretty, even in her shinigami uniform.

His eyes trailed upwards and he blushed as he passed her chest. It was rather easy to see her womanly figure in that bikini, even with the opened vest covering some of it. He looked up even further and found himself staring at her soft pink lips. Toshiro wondered what they would taste like. Would they taste like vanilla? Or would they taste of watermelons, that fruit that they both so loved to eat?

"Hitsugaya-kun? What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" Momo was asking him, causing him to blink as he snapped to attention.

"Actually…" He stared at her, and sure enough, there was a tiny bit of vanilla ice cream on her cheek. "There is." His heart racing with that crazy new feeling returning, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cheek, tasting the vanilla on his tongue, and effectively cleaning it off for her. His eyes opened and widened in horror. _What the hell am I doing?!_ He pulled back. "Hinamori, I'm sorry," he said quickly and turned away.

In the meantime, Hinamori's face was the color of a cherry. "H-Hitsugaya-kun?" Her heart was pounding so heavily that she thought for a moment that it might burst.

He was saved from having to answer her. "It's Toshiro-kun!" They had managed to run into Orihime, Tatsuki, and Ishida once again. "Hey, you guys, we were just off to the haunted house! Do you both wanna come?" Orihime made a face, trying to imitate a spook for emphasis.

"I'll pass." Toshiro folded his arms across his chest.

"Then, Hinamori-chan will come, won't you?" Orihime giggled and pulled the startled girl from Hitsugaya's side. "I mean, it's right there, and so Toshiro-kun can wait for us right out here!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Hitsugaya shouted after the group. He ran after them, catching up, but realizing that there was a huge horde of people, crowding them in. The only way out was to go through the haunted house. He rolled his eyes. _What a pain…_ It wasn't lost to him that Hinamori tensed beside him. _She's always hated the dark,_ he thought, offering his arm for her to cling to.

She smiled appreciatively and was about to say something but then a dark figure dressed in rags dropped down right in front of her with a loud crack and a puff of smoke. "_Kyaaaaaaaa_!" She screamed and buried her head in Hitsugaya's shoulder.

He sighed, putting his arm around her and holding her close while brushing the animated doll away in annoyance. "Really, Bed Wetter. You're a shinigami. You're not supposed to be scared of ghosts," he joked.

"I-I'm not scared of ghosts," she huffed. "I-I just can't st-stand- _eeeeeeeeeek_!" Another 'spook' had jumped out in front of her; this time it was a real person, dressed in a dark cloak and had a goofy-looking mask with fake blood dripping down it. She pressed herself tightly against her friend once again.

Despite the situation, Hitsugaya blushed. He felt the curves of her body pressed tightly against his, and once again he found himself going down a very dangerous trail of thought. He forcefully stopped. _She is my friend. Nothing, I mean nothing more!_ He glared at the person. "Do you mind?!" He snapped irritably. Deciding to keep an eye out to protect Momo from further getting scared, and wanting to get out of this pathetic place as soon as possible, he held Momo against him and quickened his pace, leaving Inoue and the others behind. To his left, a person dressed in a werewolf costume was getting ready to pounce on them, but he stopped that one with one deadly glare. "Do you want to die?" He hissed dangerously.

"I-I'm just doing my job…" The guy was murmuring pathetically.

"Do your job with someone else!" Hitsugaya stormed past him, Hinamori still in the safety of his arms. After dodging quite a few more scare attacks, he looked up to see the light streaming into the dark house from the open door. They had almost made it. "Come on, let's get out of here," he murmured to his friend, pulling her along. Much to his annoyance, an animated skeleton jumped out at them.

"Aaaaaaaaagh!" Momo screamed.

"This is just stupid and annoying!" Hitsugaya shouted, punching the skeleton and sending it crashing backwards into the wall in pieces.

"H-hey!" Another person dressed in a costume came out of hiding. "You… you broke it! You're going to have to pay for that!"

"If you hadn't thrown that stupid thing out in front of me, this wouldn't have happened. It's your own fault." Taking Momo's hand, he led her out into the safety of the light.

"Arigato, Shiro-chan," Momo said softly.

His teal eyes settled on her. "For what?" He asked, somewhat grumpily.

"For protecting me."

The white-haired boy rolled his eyes. "What? They were bothering me. Anyway, Bed Wetter, let's go."

"But, what about the others? Shouldn't we wait?"

"As far as I'm concerned, they dragged us in there without our permission, so why should I waste any more time waiting for them? They'll probably just try dragging us through something else we don't want to go through." He began to lead Momo away when he heard Orihime's voice.

"Toshiro-kun! Wait up! Come on, let's find something else. Ishida-kun, Tatsuki-chan, are you coming?"

And so, Momo and Toshiro were dragged once again to another part of the park. "And just what the hell is this?" The boy captain grumbled, glaring up at the heart shaped entrance with the swan shaped boats.

Orihime giggled. "It's the Tunnel of Love, silly! It's so cute, with the little swan boats! Tatsuki-chan, are you coming with me?"

Ishida Uryu looked a bit disappointed. "But… well, what am I supposed to do?"

She clasped her hands in front of her in realization. "Oh, that's right! Poor Ishida-kun, do you want to ride with the two of us?"

He sighed. "I guess so." _She makes it sound more like the two of them are on a date! Wait a minute, I just thought 'date,' didn't I?_ He shook his head. "Well, let's get going…"

"Shiro-chan, can we go too?" Momo's brown eyes looked at him, pleadingly.

"There is no way I'm going on that thing." He said coldly, crossing his arms. He was set. He had his mind made up. He wasn't going to do it. He wasn't… aw, hell. He sat rigidly in the boat with an annoyed expression on his face, and his arms crossed. _Why can't I just say 'no?'_

The girl in front of him giggled. "This is so peaceful. I like this place much better than that haunted house, Hitsugaya-kun." She looked to her side, and gasped. "Shiro-chan! Look, it's so beautiful!" She pointed to where fireflies danced over a bed of flowers. A tiny stream separated the flowers and spilled into the river that carried their boat down the tunnel.

_Has she even guessed at how I feel about her? Should I tell her?_ These things were running through Hitsugaya Toshiro's mind as he stared at the girl in front of him. The pale light reflected off of her creamy colored skin, giving her an angelic glow. It reflected from her dark eyes, bringing out the color. _Does she feel the same way? She told me that she loved me… but is that just as a childhood friend? Does she only love me as 'Shiro-chan?' _"Hinamori… I…"

"Hitsugaya-kun?" She pressed when he trailed off.

"No, it's nothing." He looked away. _No. I can't. It's been awhile since we were assigned here, and aside from a couple of hollow purifications, I haven't done much. Still, this can't last forever. We're going to have to go back someday, and I'm a captain. She's a lieutenant, or, at least she will be once again when she fully recovers. We're both from entirely different squads. There is no 'us.' There never was, and never will be. It can't happen. It's impossible. I've been in the world of the living for far too long._

"What's wrong, Shiro-chan?"

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you," he replied flatly.

Taken aback by his sudden coldness, Momo blinked in surprise. "H-Hitsugaya-kun…?"

"Just… never mind. Come on. We're near the exit, and this park is closing soon. We're going to have to get ready for the school's festival, right?"

Hinamori sighed sadly. "I guess so." The ride came to an end, and they exited the ride. It was silent until they reached the bus stop, and more silence continued all the way back to Orihime's place.

Finally Hitsugaya spoke to her. "Let's meet with Matsumoto down here when were ready." Saying nothing else, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the guest room.

She stared after him, then finally hung her head and resigned herself to get ready for the festival in Orihime's room. After several minutes, she sank down on the bed and gave up. She had once again done something to upset her friend, she was sure of it. _I wonder what it was? Does it have something to do with our past? Maybe I can't remember? If only I could get to Tobiume…_ She stopped that thought. Hitsugaya had said that contact with Tobiume for now was strictly off limits. And before now, Hinamori was content to just spend time with her childhood companion. But the loneliness now threatened to engulf her whole once again. _If I could only remember a little… it'll only be a little. No one will know. It won't hurt anything. I'll come right back before they even know I'm gone. _Hinamori peeked outside of Orihime's door. She glanced back and forth, noticing that Hitsugaya's door was closed. Rangiku and Orihime had gone out to find some flowers to put up in their hair that matched their kimonos, so Momo was alone. _Good, _she thought in relief. Deciding not to press her luck, she snuck out and raced down the street, running as fast as she could to Urahara's shop. She gasped for breath before knocking softly on the door.

The door opened, and a little boy stood there, with an expression reminding her oddly of Toshiro's. "Whaddya want?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Oh! Hinamori-san!" The little girl came up behind him. "Hello! Come in! What do you need?"

"Is Urahara-san here?"

"Ie," the girl said, shaking her head. "He's gone for the day. Gomen nasai."

_Perfect,_ Momo thought. She then realized from the expectant look on the children's faces that she needed to come up with something, quick. "I was wondering, Ururu-chan, if you have any experiences with kimonos? I don't wear one often, and I'm confused as to what color I should wear."

"I'm not very good with those things," the girl answered shyly.

"Oh, I see."

"Well, if you guys need me, I'll be out back," Jinta said uncomfortably, shuffling his feet and quickly leaving the room, uncomfortable with the conversation.

"I'll go get you some tea, okay, Hinamori-san?" The little girl left.

Realizing that her time was limited, Momo stood quickly and looked around the room. She closed her eyes and tried to reach out with her own limited reiatsu, following a tiny tugging feeling into an empty guest room. She opened her eyes, and spied Tobiume in a glass case sitting on a shelf high up in the room. She quickly moved to the shelf and standing on her tip-toes, Momo managed to remove the glass cover, the urge to hold it once again overwhelmingly powerful now. Setting the glass cover down quietly, she looked up with determined eyes, reached up, and felt her hands clasp around what was rightfully hers.

**End of chapter 7.**

**Author's note: **You know, I was afraid there for a little while that I wouldn't be able to get this put up for everyone. I couldn't log in since Thursday. I would have been so angry if that had kept me from posting this. I'm glad that it seems to be working again, though. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and please, if it's not too much trouble, leave me a review? Thanks! I hope to have the next chapter up by mid next week, okay? Take care till then!-- Hallie


	8. Together with You

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**Quick word from me:** I am not exactly sure, was kinda messing up, so please bear with me. The reviews that are showing up are from KnowledgeandImagination, killerbunny78, StardustQueen, and SoullessReaper. If I missed anyone I am terribly sorry and promise to make it up somehow! But thank you all for your reviews! Now onto the story!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 8: Together With You**

Her eyes went wide upon clutching the Zanpakuto. Suddenly, memories flooded her thoughts, along with an agonizing pain that rippled through her entire being.

"_If that school's so great what are ya doing hanging out here for?" Shiro-chan, she knew it was him, younger of course, but it was him, was spitting watermelon seeds at someone, but she couldn't say who._

Momo gasped for air but it wouldn't come.

"_Don't come back, you bed wetter!"_

Her knees shook and threatened to collapse.

_She remembered icy teal eyes that could freeze one's soul. It was amazing that they belonged to just a small little boy. "Look, Obaa-san said you could stay here, so that's that. Which means that we're family now. And that's all that matters."_

Momo could feel her grip slipping on the sword.

_She looked around her, and all she could see was death and destruction around her. The girl vaguely realized that she was trembling, as she stumbled across the barren plains, stepping over mutilated bodies._

With a clunk, the Zanpakuto was dropped onto the hard wood of the shelf and Momo fell back, shuddering and gasping for air. "Hinamori-san, are you all right?"

_Oh no!_ Despite her protesting body, Momo shot up and grabbed the glass cover, throwing it over the Zanpakuto and rushing out of the room into the hallway before Ururu could return. "Y-yeah! I'm here." She giggled nervously. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Ururu-chan." She sat down and accepted the tea. "I'm grateful for the tea."

"Um… are you going to be late, Hinamori-san?" Ururu said pointing to the clock that hung on the wall.

"Oh, no! Hitsugaya-kun will be waiting! I'm so sorry!"

Ururu giggled. "It's okay. I'm only sorry I couldn't help. Good luck, Hinamori-san!"

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"You went to Urahara's. Why?" Those demanding first words were what came out of Hitsugaya's mouth as Hinamori approached him.

"U-um… I needed help with a kimono… I'm not very good with those things and I can't decide. I thought Ururu-chan could help me but she said she was not very good with it either," Momo half-lied. It was only a half-lie. She _had _asked the girl for help, right? At least that's what she kept telling herself. For a moment, she wondered if Toshiro could sense what she had done.

His icy emerald eyes seemed to stare right through her, into her soul. She feared the worst, when he turned away. "You know, you could have just asked Inoue and Matsumoto."

She giggled. "Oh, yeah."

"Baka. Go back in and don't come out till your ready. And don't take too long."

"Arigato, Shiro-chan!" _Gomen nasai, Shiro-chan. That's what I really should be saying to you._ She stepped inside. "Inoue-san? Matsumoto-san?" She stopped when the world around her spun and she leaned against the wall for support. _What was that just now?_ After a moment, she shook her head and it cleared. Deciding to ignore the feeling, she called out for them again. "Hey, you guys, where are you?"

"In here, Hinamori-chan!" Came Rangiku's voice from inside Orihime's room. "Come in! We bought the perfect flowers and ribbon for your hair and everything! Come see!"

She opened the door to see that Orihime and Rangiku were already dressed. Rangiku was holding a light pink and white flowered kimono up with a devilish grin. "You are so going to make Taicho blush tonight!" She teased. "If he thought today was bad, he's got nothing on later on!"

Orihime giggled. "Why are you so intent on pushing Toshiro-kun and Hinamori-san together anyway, Rangiku-san?"

"I thought it was obvious. Taicho is completely in love with our Momo-chan here," Rangiku answered simply as she was undressing Momo.

Momo's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. "Matsumoto-san, I really don't think so… I mean, well… You shouldn't start rumors like that about people!"

"And besides, I would like to help Hinamori-chan out, because it looks like the feeling is mutual, isn't it?" She smiled gently at the other girl.

"I… well… that is to say…" Hinamori trailed off. "I'm not sure, but I really don't think he is in love with me or anything. He cares for me, and he's my best friend, but that's it-OOF!" She gasped. "Matsumoto…san…too tight…" She looked down at the light pink kimono with the fuchsia-colored obi that was wrapped forcefully around her middle.

"Well, you gotta show off that cute figure of yours somehow, right?" Matsumoto reasoned, shrugging. "There, you look absolutely ravishing! Why, I'll bet that Taicho will have quite a time of getting that obi undone," she added with a wink.

"M-Matsumoto-san!" Hinamori shrieked with a blush. "Hitsugaya-kun would never…" But her protests were heard by no one, as Rangiku had already left the room. She followed the woman out the door, only to be stopped by Orihime.

"Hey, I picked this clip out for you!" Orihime said, pulling the poor girl into the bathroom. "Come here and let me fix your hair!"

Momo stood obediently and gazed over at Orihime as she fussed with her raven locks. "Why aren't you wearing any different hairpins, Inoue-san?" She asked softly.

"My brother gave me these ones before he died. They are very, very special to me. I never take them out, for anything. They are my most treasured possession," she answered softly. "Besides, they match my kimono, right? So what's the big deal?"

"Maybe you picked out the kimono to match your hairpins," Momo laughed.

Orihime laughed as well. "Actually, I did." She tugged on Momo's hair a bit as she was putting it up in the hair clip, then fastened the clip into her hair. "There, done. Take a look."

Doing as she was told, Momo gasped at her reflection. The hair clip was a beautiful pink crystal flower, and her hair was twisted around it in a loose bun. Her bangs hung loose down the sides of her face. "Wow, it… it's perfect, Inoue-san."

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Orihime reached over inside one of the bathroom shelves and pulled out her make-up bag. "Rangiku told me to put a little make-up on you, too." She applied some lipstick, eye shadow, powder, and blush, finally finishing. "There. I bet Toshiro-kun will fall head over heels for you tonight!" She giggled.

"Why is it that you both are so obsessed with Shiro-chan and I anyway? We're just friends!"

"It's strange. Everyone but the both of you sees it." Orihime said, still chuckling. "Well, meet us out there when you're ready, okay?" She left the room.

"Wait a minute!" Momo called after her. "What is that supposed to mean? What does everyone see that we don't?" She growled in frustration when she realized that Orihime had escaped from earshot. "I wish people would stop doing that!" With a sigh, she decided to come down and meet everyone else. She raced down the stairs, gasping for breath at the door (really, did Rangiku have to tie that so tight?). Momo stopped as she glanced up, looking directly into Toshiro's blue-green eyes. "I-I'm ready… to go…so you can…" She found she couldn't finish. Why was he gazing at her so intensely?

Toshiro found it hard to breathe as soon as she appeared. What had Rangiku and Orihime done to Momo? He had always thought that she was cute, pretty even, but the girl he knew before had been transformed into a beautiful woman. She had grown up completely, leaving him behind as usual. He cursed inwardly at the difference in their ages. She wasn't that much older than he, but enough that he still looked like a child compared to her. At least that was what he thought. He looked away. "Fine, let's go," he grumbled.

She offered her hand meekly to him. "Shiro-chan?"

"Don't call me that." His hand grasped hers greedily.

"Taicho, that's soo adorable! You two kids look so sweet together!" Rangiku teased.

An icy glare was sent her way. "Shut up!" Nothing more was said until they reached the festival grounds.

Orihime met up with Ichigo, Rukia, Chad and Uryu, waving goodbye to Momo, Toshiro, and Rangiku. "See ya later! Have fun, you guys!"

So the three wandered around for some time, when Rangiku stopped. "Oh, yes!" She was really ecstatic now. Just across the way, in all its glory, was a bar. "Well, you two, this is my stop! Catch you after the fireworks!" She took off.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya shouted after her. He stopped his yelling abruptly when Hinamori clasped his arm in between her own. "H-Hinamori?" He managed.

"I'm glad that we're alone now, Hitsugaya-kun," she said softly.

His face now the exact opposite color of his blue kimono, he pulled away slightly. "Hinamori, what are you doing? We're in public!"

"Are you embarrassed to be on a date with me?" Momo pouted.

"D-date!? Who said anything about that?!" He demanded.

"Matsumoto-san said it was a date," Momo answered.

He scowled. "Of course she would."

The raven-haired girl let of his arm. "I guess. Never mind." _I know I like him. I know how I feel. But what is Matsumoto-san talking about? He doesn't seem to like me back at all! He's just the same old Shiro-chan!_

"Hinamori?" He questioned at her action. "What is it? Are you tired?"

"No," she snapped at him, and then sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess," she started with a sad smile, "that you're just the same old Shiro-chan that I remember…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He growled.

"Nothing. Just… nothing's changed, that's all."

He deflated. "Oh." An awkward silence passed through them and they walked side-by-side, although not touching.

They continued on, and stopped in at some shops. After buying a goldfish, winning a stuffed animal, and playing a ring toss game, Momo had _still_ managed to talk Toshiro into using the last of his money to buy some cotton candy for her. She had a contented smile on her face as she bit into the soft and sweet candy. "What next, Shiro-chan?" She offered him some, which he declined, as she figured he would.

He shrugged. "Well, I'm broke now, thanks to you, so why don't we just go over there and watch that music show over there?"

"Okay, sounds good!" She said happily, ignoring his implication. She sat down beside him and they both sat there in silence, watching the orchestra play.

The music stopped all of a sudden, and the band members turned their heads to the sky, where sparkles and colors exploded in the sky.

Momo jumped slightly, but turned her face upward, in awe of the beautiful colors filling up the sky. "Toshiro… look," she breathed. "It's beautiful."

Hitsugaya regarded her for a moment. She had just used his given name. Momo had rarely before called him by that name. Maybe once or twice as children, but normally it was 'Shiro-chan.' He saw the beautiful colors reflecting in her dark eyes and swallowed hard. He couldn't stand it! "H-Hinamori… I…" He hesitated. What about his position? What about Momo's position? Their friendship? What if she didn't share his feelings? What if she did? What would he do if he lost her to Aizen? What would the other captains say? He shook his head violently, ridding himself of those thoughts. Who cared? He had to say, or do, something! Screw everything else even if only for this one moment. Hitsugaya Toshiro had to know what Hinamori Momo truly felt about him. He leaned toward her, more emotion shining in his aquamarine eyes than ever before. "Momo," he whispered, getting her attention.

At hearing her name, she looked back to him, only to have her lips be met with his. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she closed them. The fireworks continued to light up the sky, but new sparks were flying down below now. She pressed closer to him, wrapping her arms behind his neck.

He in turn wrapped his arms possessively behind her waist. He'd never kissed anyone before, and it was obvious to him that she hadn't, either. But they were both quick learners, it seemed.

They broke the kiss, parting from each other slightly. "Toshiro… I…"

"Gomen nasai, Hinamori," he apologized. "I shouldn't have done that."

She looked hurt. "You mean, you didn't mean it… Toshiro?"

"Not that, I mean, I should have asked your permission, or something, right?" His own eyes widened in surprise when she pressed her lips against his once again.

Momo pulled away again. "Now you have my permission," she replied with a smile. "Toshiro, remember what I said before to you?"

"Hai… Momo." He decided that he liked the sound of her name escaping his lips. "I remember everything. What part?"

"I still don't know who I am. But I know that I loved you. The feelings I must have had back then… and the feelings I have now are even stronger. I love you, Toshiro. I always feel so safe and warm around you. So protected and even loved. You're my best friend, and I want to always be with you, never apart from you." Tears filled her eyes and she gripped his blue kimono, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Please, Toshiro, don't leave me. Don't let me forget."

"Momo…" His arms went around her in a comforting embrace, holding her gently to him as she cried softly. "I won't leave. I'll always be by your side. Even if I have to force you to remember me, to remember everything, I'll never give up. I love you… and I think I always have. That's never changed. I've always been yours." His voice lowered as his lips brushed against her ear. "Your Shiro-chan." He held her close, watching the sky as the fireworks finished in a brilliant finale, and vowed from that moment on, that he was going to redouble in his efforts to keep his bed wetter safe and happy.

The fireworks had ended, and there was not much else to do at the festival, since it was ending soon. Deciding it best not to wait for Matsumoto and the others, Hitsugaya left early with Hinamori. He glanced at her when he felt a tugging at his arm, signifying that she once again had clung to his side. It didn't bother him. On the contrary, it had been something that he'd only dreamt about. She was trusting _him _with her life, her heart. He couldn't begin to say how much that meant to him. Hitsugaya had worked his entire life to try and look out for that girl. Sure, he'd always grumbled that she was a clumsy pain in the butt and maybe she was, but he simply felt from day one when his obaa-san took the broken girl in from the streets that it was his job to make sure that she was safe. _Momo, I won't fail you,_ he vowed, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his protective embrace.

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"_Thank you, Momo, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, and goodbye."_

_A piercing pain ripped through her chest. She looked down and back up in a mix of disbelief and horror at a face that would haunt her and give her nightmares for the rest of her days. "W-what have you done? W-why…?"_

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A whimper of pain woke Toshiro from his deep sleep. His teal eyes opened and alarm shot through him. He immediately turned to the girl sleeping beside him. "Hinamori." He shook her gently. When it had no effect, he shook her again, slightly harder. "Momo, come on, wake up."

Then she said something that sent ice water running through his veins. "W-why… Aizen-taicho?" Her hand had moved and was clutching at her chest, the area near her heart.

"Momo!" Toshiro lifted her into his arms. He had to wake her up, _now._

Finally, her brown eyes opened after a struggle. "S-Shiro-chan? I'm so glad… I just had such an awful dream," she whispered, trembling and laying her head against his shoulder for comfort.

"I know you did," he stated flatly. "You were crying out in your sleep." He resisted interrogating her further about it, as he didn't want to upset her. His grip tightened protectively around her. _I don't understand. Wasn't her gigai supposed to suppress her memories?_

Recovering herself, Momo pushed slightly away from him. "Gomen nasai, did I wake you?"

"It's fine. It's about time for us to get up anyway," he answered.

"It's only the weekend. We don't have any school," she pouted, then brightened. "Do you know what I want to do while we're here, Shiro-chan?"

He let go and regarded the girl, arms crossed and a eyebrows furrowed. "What would that be, Bed Wetter?"

"I want to go find a job to work at, like a lot of kids do in our class! Wouldn't that be fun?" She stood and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm going to go look today!"

"…Do what you want. Baka, why do you need to tell me?" He stood as well, grabbing some blue jeans and a dark shirt.

"What are you going to do today?" She asked innocently.

_Good question. _"I think I'm gonna go for a walk and think on some things," he finally answered her. He watched her back as she left the room to get herself ready for the day. He then dressed himself and slipped out the door. Perhaps this walk would do him some good. He walked along, further downtown, not paying attention really to where he was headed, and was mildly surprised to find himself at the school grounds when he recovered his surroundings. Some teenagers were off in the distance practicing soccer, on their day off for their team. He paused a moment to watch them. _Maybe I should think of doing something while I'm here, _he thought. _After all, I did enjoy it when I played with Kurosaki's sister._

"What're you looking at, Short-stuff!?" A rather large teenager shouted, sauntering over to where Hitsugaya was.

His icy eyes narrowed. "What did you just call me?"

"Short. Just what you are. What, wanna make something of it?" The buffoon had a cocky grin on his face.

Hitsugaya was about to ignore the moron and continue on his way when he stopped. _Wait. Here I'm not a captain of the Gotei 13. Here I'm nothing more than another teenage student. _A dangerous smirk appeared on his face. _I am allowed to act as a normal teenage boy would here. _"As a matter of fact, I would. It's amazing. I thought that apes were endangered in these parts. Apparently I was wrong."

"What did you say!? You little freak! I'm gonna rip your friggin' head off!" The oaf charged after him, but Hitsugaya merely sidestepped him and he landed face first in a fence.

"If you really want to settle it, I challenge you at soccer. One on one. First goal wins. What do you say," his smirk faded, replaced by a dangerous glare, "Donkey Kong?"

"You little bastard! Sure, I accept. Hope you live through it!" Soon the two were facing off on the field. The ball was thrown in and the bigger boy claimed it. He raced ahead, ready to plow into Hitsugaya, when the smaller boy sidestepped him once again, throwing him off balance and stealing the ball.

"I hope gorillas can run," the silver-haired boy taunted as he raced past with the ball. He sped up, the goal now only meters away and kicked the ball in. It flew past the goalie before he could even react.

"W-what's your name, kid?" The big kid muttered in amazement.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro." He turned to leave.

"Wait! You're the new kid, aren't you! Would you like to join our soccer club?"

He turned to face the rest of them once again. "You know, maybe I would…"

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Momo twirled around in her new outfit a few times. She now was wearing a black maid's dress with a white frilly blouse underneath. "It's so cute! So, this is going to be my uniform?" She asked innocently to the store owner.

He smiled kindly at her. "Why, yes, Momo-chan. My wife and I are getting older, and it's hard enough to do the baking and making all of the cookies and chocolates, without having to sell them. And I'm sure that they will sell better with a cute little girl like you behind the register."

She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you, sir! I will do my best!"

"All right, shall we start today?"

Momo nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love nothing more, sir!" She said with a happy salute.

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Hitsugaya glanced down at his new soccer uniform that he now wore. He was rather sore from the practice, but he had to admit that it was quite amusing. His stomach growled as he passed by a sweets shop. He could smell the sweet chocolate and cookies in the air. _Not fair. How much do I have on me?_ He checked his pockets only to find that he had only a few yen coins on him. _Buying all that stuff for Momo last night made me go broke! Maybe something cheap…_ He stepped in.

"Welcome! How are you doing today? Would you like to try some of our chocolate-peach truffles today?" Momo's chirpy voice asked.

He looked up in surprise. "Hinamori!" He then blushed, looking at her attire. "Um, so you're working here now?"

She blushed as well, unconsciously clasping her hands in front shyly. "Y-yes. I didn't recognize you at first, Hitsugaya-kun." She raised an eyebrow. "Karakura's soccer club?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I decided to get involved in something else, too."

"I see," Momo said, smiling. "I can't wait to see you play, Hitsugaya-kun!"

His stomach growled once again, reminding him of why he had come. "I was lured in here because of that smell. So… how much for those peach truffles?" He asked with a smirk.

"200 yen, please," she answered. "Here, I can pay for you, to repay you for everything you bought me at the festival last night."

"Momo-chan, for your boy-friend here, it's free," an elderly woman had appeared behind her and handed the bag of chocolate truffles to Hitsugaya. "Sonny, come back whenever you want."

"But, but I-" Hitsugaya stuttered in embarrassment.

"Nonsense. I insist," the woman said kindly.

"But, I don't really think we are really-" Momo started, red as a cherry, "_together _yet_,_ you know, Naomi-san?"

Hitsugaya nodded sheepishly in agreement. "Yeah, we're not really… yet."

"_Yet_?" The old woman laughed. "Oh, you children are so cute! Have a wonderful day, Sonny, and don't worry, we won't keep her for too much longer today!"

**End of chapter 8.**

**Author's note: **Review me? Pretty please? Love ya all!-- Hallie


	9. The End of Day by Day

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**Quick word from me: **Thanks to KnowledgeandImagination, KeroMitch, SoullessReaper, kRyStAlt3aRz, Kinaia, Soni758, Snowflakessy, and StardustQueen for reviewing! And all the rest of the readers, too. It means a lot to me that you've stuck with me to this point. I only hope that it gets easier to write again. I am having so much fun with this story! I do hope you guys are too! After all, I wouldn't have made it this far without you all! So here's another one to all! Enjoy!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 9: The End of Day-by-Day**

It was the end of soccer practice. Hitsugaya sat on the bench drinking some of his lemonade out of his drinking container that Momo had sent with him. He had told her that she didn't need to worry, but she'd insisted so he took it. As he sat there, he began to overhear a conversation between a couple of the other team mates.

"Yeah, I'm giving Yoko-chan my other soccer shirt. It's supposed to give you luck if you give it to your girlfriend the day of a big game!"

Toshiro froze. _Girlfriend?_ He debated on whether or not to ask Momo to take his for the day. It had been two weeks since he had joined the team, and they were going to have a big game tomorrow. He had never heard of anything like this before, so he hadn't worried about it but now he was thinking on it. _Is Momo… my girlfriend? I mean, we only kissed that one time, and we are really close friends, but… I don't think we're ready to be so familiar with each other. I love her and all, she and I both know that, and she said she loved me, so I wonder what's stopping us?_ Every time he thought about it, nothing made since. Why were they hesitating? Normally when people confessed to their feelings and shared an embrace, it meant that they accepted one another and wanted to start a relationship. But for some reason, he and Momo both had backed away. He had merely promised to never leave her side and protect her. To stay with her, always. That didn't necessarily mean that he had promised to marry her or anything… right?

He walked home in silent contemplation, unconsciously brushing his fingers against the fabric of the white soccer uniform shirt that he supposedly would need to give to Hinamori for luck. When he made it to Orihime's house, he stepped inside, glancing around for anybody, but found the place empty. Momo had gone off to work, and Orihime had a job of her own as well. Matsumoto was most likely off drinking, and so that left him. "What do I do?" He whispered aloud to himself. "We're not exactly together yet, and it's not that I don't want to be, but I've never been with someone before. Should I give this to her? Should I chance it? What if she rejects it?" He shook his head. _She wouldn't. After all, she likes me too. _He smirked.

"What's that look for, Taicho?" Matsumoto asked, standing in the doorway. "And what would who reject?" She smiled teasingly, knowing full well who her captain was talking about.

"Don't you have homework?" Hitsugaya snapped, a little frustrated with himself for not sensing her presence.

"I already did it."

"Just like you finish your paperwork, huh?"

Matsumoto was going to retort something but their soul pagers started going off. "Taicho!" She turned serious.

"I know," he said, popping the soul candy into his mouth and jumping out of his gigai.

Matsumoto had done the same, and followed closely behind him, checking her pager. "Taicho, the signal is coming from a couple blocks down!" She pointed ahead of them.

"No." Realization dawned on Hitsugaya's face and he sped up. "That's where Momo's candy shop is!" He used Shunpo and made it the rest of the way there in record time.

"Naomi-san!" Came Hinamori's terrified shriek from behind the building.

He followed the sound and appeared by Momo's side. "Hinamori!"

"Hitsugaya-kun, please, save Naomi-san!" Momo cried, clinging to his haori pleadingly. "I couldn't do anything!"

"It's all right, Hinamori," he said reassuringly, stepping in front of her. He glared up at the enormous hollow that had the elderly woman in its grasp. It had horns and almost looked like a bull, but had hands and feet just like those of a giant gorilla.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto appeared behind it and attempted to hit it with her Shikai. "Growl, Haineko!" The sword in her hand dissolved into a dust and struck the hollow.

It hissed in anger and reached around to swipe at the female shinigami, who darted out of the way a split second before it could strike her.

She appeared in front of him, and her sword materialized in front of it, and severed the arm off that had been holding the old woman prisoner.

The woman fell, and Hitsugaya leapt forward, catching her and landing with the woman safely in his arms. Her eyes opened and she managed a tiny smile. "Oh… my, Momo-chan's sweetheart. You came to save us… such a sweet… boy…" She fainted once again.

"Naomi-san!" Momo cried out, rushing to his side.

He set Naomi on the ground. "Momo, take care of her," he instructed, before jumping into the fray. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" He let loose the fury of the ice dragon upon the hollow.

It hit its mark, and the hollow howled in agony. But it wasn't done yet. It lunged forward toward Matsumoto, managing to catch her off guard and knocking her into the side of a building.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya shouted.

"I'm… all right, Taicho!" She winced. "I was careless…"

His gaze returned to the monster in front of him and he realized that he'd gotten too distracted in the battle. He leapt backwards, narrowly missing a devastating blow himself. His eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm done with you!" He shouted, ensnaring the hollow's other arm with his Zanpakuto's chain. Ice spread from the sword to the chain, and lastly, covered its victim's arm. With another shout, the ice exploded from the hollow's arm and engulfed its entire body. Hitsugaya pulled the sword back, it now was returning to its sealed form, and he sheathed it.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori's voice called out, full of worry. When he approached her, she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I-Is she going to be okay?"

He knelt down beside the woman and checked her over. Hitsugaya then looked back to Hinamori and nodded. "She'll be fine. Let me help you take her in." He aided Momo, taking the woman into the back of the store to lie down, then left to find his gigai when he was sure that everyone was all right. He met up with Matsumoto after he rejoined with his gigai.

"Taicho, that was close," she said, frowning. "Is it just me or are the hollow attacks getting closer and closer in proximity of where Hinamori-chan is?"

His expression darkened. "I don't think it's just you, nor is it coincidence," he answered. "I've also sensed a change in Hinamori over the past week. She's seemed to be more fatigued than usual."

"She has?" Rangiku shot an inquisitive glance over at her captain.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. It's hard to notice, because she hides it so well, but living with her as I did for so many years, it's easier for me to tell what's going on. I've also felt a tiny amount of reiatsu coming from her, which is strange considering that hers should be completely suppressed. I am going to be talking to both Unohana and Urahara tonight. I'm certain they will want to know." He fell silent and slowed his pace, deep in thought.

"Taicho?"

"Hmm?"

Matsumoto put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Hinamori-chan always tells you if something's wrong. Don't worry so much, okay?

The boy sighed, suddenly looking older than his years. "That's the problem, Matsumoto. I don't even think that _she _realizes something's wrong."

The woman was silent as she walked beside her captain. No one said anything more until they reached Urahara's shop. "What will you tell Unohana-taicho?"

"Just what I told you," was his answer. He knocked on the door, and gave a rigid bow to the owner of the shop when he opened the door. "Good evening."

"Well, if it isn't the Squad 10 captain! Enjoying the world of the living are we?"

Hitsugaya crossed his arms. "I was going to talk with Unohana about this, but have you noticed any change in Tobiume?"

The man regarded him for a moment, expression unreadable. Then, he put on a grin. "Maybe you need to see for yourself." Urahara stepped aside. "This way."

Hitsugaya nodded slowly. "All right. Thank you." He followed the man into the room that the sword was being kept in. The first thing he'd noticed about Tobiume was the eerie glow emanating from it. He felt a strange reiatsu coming from it, but at the same time there was a familiar reiatsu as well. It was being smothered by the strange one, so he couldn't tell for sure, however. He turned to Urahara. "Have you been able to find out any more about the reiatsu coming from it?" He asked. He had a bad feeling about it, and if he was right, he knew that we was going to be chastising Momo about it later on. _If she was stupid enough to put her hands on Tobiume, things are only going to become more complicated, _he fretted.

"Not very much. That reiatsu is too ominous and too strong that's coming from it."

"I see. I should probably speak with Unohana about this," Toshiro said, more to himself than anything.

"I'm going to continue to keep an eye on that Zanpakuto of Hinamori's. I'll let you know if I find anything out."

Hitsugaya bid him goodbye. "Arigato." Wasting no more time, he raced to Orihime's apartment to get into contact with the Squad 4 captain.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," the woman greeted him over the big screen sitting in Orihime's living room. "I take it that you have some news on Hinamori-kun?"

He nodded slowly. "Her Zanpakuto is reacting to something, but we can't figure it out yet. Whatever happened is causing her condition to begin to deteriorate once again, though," he said grimly.

"I see." Her face remained calm and collected, but Hitsugaya wondered if she wasn't hiding her worry.

"Any news on your end?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. But if Hinamori-kun is becoming ill once again…"

"It's not that bad. Not… yet, anyway," Hitsugaya replied quickly.

It was silent for a moment until Unohana spoke up. "I will inform you the moment I hear something from Kurotsuchi-taicho, is that all right with you?"

"Hai, arigato," he answered, ending the transmission. _That was pointless, _he thought with a sigh.

The door opening and shutting startled him from his thoughts. Hitsugaya looked up to see that Hinamori had stumbled in through the door, looking extremely worn out. "Hinamori! You're back. Daijoubu desu ka? You look exhausted!"

Momo smiled tiredly at him. "Ie, daijoubu," she answered, waving him off. "It was just a really long day. I think I'm going to head to bed now, okay? Oyasumi nasai, Shiro-chan." She retreated into her bedroom and closed the door before he could get any words out.

"Baka. You're exhausted. What good is fibbing going to do for you anyway?" He grumbled to himself. He waited awhile and peeked into her room, checking up at her. He spotted her sleeping peacefully on her futon, and slipped inside. Kneeling down next to her, he put a hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. She seemed all right for the moment, so he stood.

"Shiro-chan… when you go to the same school as me… I'll call you by your real name then…" She was mumbling in her sleep.

He frowned. _Another memory._ But his expression softened at the memory. _Bed Wetter, you never did keep that promise,_ he thought wryly. Finally deciding that Hinamori was going to be okay for the night, he silently stood and left the room, knowing that he wouldn't be far away if she needed him.

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"Aizen-sama, he has failed to bring her here."

The former Squad 5 captain turned cold eyes to the messenger that had reported the unfortunate news to him. "It's a shame that you had to tell me that. You might have lived longer had you given me some good news."

Before the messenger could blink, a searing pain shot through his shoulder and he realized that he'd been cut through, Kyouka Suigetsu's blade still piercing his flesh. "W-why…" He collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap not uttering another word.

"I suppose it's time to send someone better qualified to do the job." Aizen's eyes flashed dangerously, and a dark sneer appeared on his lips. "Shingai… it's your turn. Show them the meaning of true _terror._"

A large arrancar stepped in front of him. Dark fur covered most of this massive beast. His hair was wild, sticking every which way. A mask covered most of his face, with only his mouth and eyes visible. His eyes were a frightening black, and held a crazed look within them, while his mouth bore razor sharp fangs and a canine snout. Droplets of blood dripped from his fangs and dried to the edges of his mouth. A freakish smile appeared on his face, and he answered, "As you wish, Aizen-sama."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was morning, and Momo was busy readying herself for school. She'd just finished buttoning her uniform blouse when a knock sounded on the door. "Who is it?"

"So you're finally up, Bed Wetter? Good. Hurry up or we're gonna be late." Toshiro's voice sounded through the door.

"Come in if you want," she replied, knowing full well Toshiro's roundabout way of asking for things from experience.

Sure enough, he opened the door and stepped in. Momo glanced at him but did a double take when she realized what he was wearing. "That's your soccer uniform shirt. Shouldn't you wear your normal school uniform?" She asked.

"I have a game tonight," he responded, looking away. He picked up the other soccer shirt.

"Oh." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and grabbed her book bag. "Well, I guess we should get going now, huh?" She ran out and met Orihime on the way.

"Toshiro-kun, aren't you going to give Hinamori-san your uniform shirt for her to wear today as well? You know that's a tradition in school right? That a boy gives a girl he likes his uniform shirt for her to wear for luck in a big game." Orihime asked, noticing the other uniform shirt in his arms.

"Really?" Momo asked.

Hitsugaya shot a glare in Orihime's direction, which unfortunately didn't have the impact he'd wanted it to, due to the crimson appearing on his cheeks. "Hinamori, come on, we don't have time for this!" He grabbed Momo's hand and pulled her along faster, leaving Orihime behind.

The startled girl blinked in surprise a couple of times. "Toshiro-kun! Hmm… was it something I said?" She wondered out loud.

Not too far ahead Momo was gasping for breath. "Shiro…chan… slow _down!_ Can't breathe…!"

He obeyed, and stood beside her while she caught her breath. "Looks like you need more exercise," he teased. "It's pretty bad if you can only run that short of distance."

"Shiro-chan! That's not nice!"

"Bed Wetter Momo!" He taunted back.

"You're so mean! Anyway… are you going to give me that shirt to wear or not, Shiro-chan?" She grinned mischievously as she watched his blush return.

"Baka! Take the stupid thing, if it means that much to you," he hissed, tossing it to her.

"What if I don't want it?" She folded her arms and let it fall to the ground. _Two can play at this game, _she thought.

"Why would you ask for it if you didn't want it in the first place?" He looked really irritated now. _Damn it, Momo, stop being so difficult! _

"Or is there another special girl that you wanted to give it to?" She pouted.

He whirled around, stooped down, picked up the shirt and shoved it into Momo's arms, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. He parted from her a moment after, cheeks burning and refusing to meet her gaze. "Baka! Just… wear it. Okay?"

Momo smiled. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun," she said softly. "Good luck. I'll be cheering you on, I promise!"

In the distance, the school bell was ringing. Toshiro grabbed her hand and pulled her along again. "See where all this arguing got us? We're gonna be late now!"

Giggling, Momo simply followed him along.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The school day was passing by rather slowly. It was only lunch time and Momo was too excited to eat. She picked at the food in her bento and had been nibbling on the same piece of broccoli now for most of the lunch hour.

"Hinamori. Eat." Hitsugaya commanded, flicking her forehead.

She blinked in surprise. "Eh? Well, sorry. I'm just not very hungry right now."

"Eat or you won't be able to go to the game," he said.

"That's not very nice, you know," she frowned at him, and continued picking at her food.

He stared at her. "Is something the matter, Hinamori?" He finally asked.

Shaking her head slowly, she found she was staring off into space. "Nothing is, Hitsugaya-kun," she answered. "I don't know, I guess I didn't get much sleep or something." She brightened. "But I can't wait to watch you play!"

Her friend's eyes narrowed. "You slept like a rock last night. I should know, I checked on you."

"Oh? Well, maybe I just slept too much," she answered simply. The bell rang, and she stood. "It's time to go, Hitsugaya-kun! We have English next!"

"…Fine." He stood and threw his garbage away along with Hinamori's and proceeded to follow her to class, slightly upset with her for not eating. The day dragged on after that and he found himself staring out the window most of the day. The teacher handed out a pop quiz, which he had no trouble with, and then a homework assignment, which Hitsugaya had finished in class, so for the remainder of the class hour, he just mulled things over in his mind. _I have this feeling that something is going to happen soon. I can't let my guard down. The moment I do…_

"All right, class dismissed. Remember to read pages 400 to 480 by tomorrow and answer all of the questions. Have a good rest of the day," the teacher instructed as the students filed out of the room.

Hitsugaya stood and stretched. He smirked when he noticed Hinamori sleeping peacefully on her desk, a tiny bit of drool trailing down the corner of her mouth. "Wake up, Bed Wetter! Am I going to have to start calling you Desk Wetter now?"

"Hmm?" She opened an eye. "Oh! Oh no! How embarrassing!" She shrieked, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"You're lucky the teacher didn't notice you or you'd be out in the hall with a bucket," Toshiro teased lightly. While the look on his face might have been showing amusement, however, inside, he was growing more concerned.

She smiled sheepishly. "Oops. Well, on to the next class? Oh wait, I don't have the same class as you."

"You sure don't, so you better not fall asleep in there. I won't be there to keep you up," he warned her. "See you, Hinamori." And he was walking away down the hall.

Momo smiled and turned the other way, going to her own class. "I can do this," she softly cheered herself on. "I can get through this class. Then only two more classes and I'm done!" She sat down in her seat and did her best to pay attention, but her concentration kept slipping… slipping… slipping…

"Hinamori-san, do you know the answer to question twelve?" The next thing she knew, the teacher had called on her.

"Uh, wha-?" She mumbled, lifting her head off the desk.

"As I thought. Hinamori, go stand in the hall," the woman snapped.

Sighing to herself, she stood and grabbed a water bucket, standing just outside the door. "Just my luck," she muttered. After that punishment the day dragged on and was finally over. Momo felt like she was going to pass out at the end of the day, with her being so tired. "Finally, it's over…" She let out a long sigh of relief as she walked home next to Hitsugaya.

"Hinamori, you should skip the game tonight," Toshiro said suddenly. "Look at you. You're exhausted. You're in absolutely no shape to go."

"No, no, no! I'm fine," Momo giggled. "Seriously! I was just so bored in school. That's all it was, Hitsugaya-kun, I swear!"

"If you're sure…" He said, giving her a pointed look.

"Of course! Now you have to go get ready, right? Your game starts really soon!" Momo pulled on him. "You go get ready and I'll meet you there, okay? I promise to cheer you on, Hitsugaya-kun!" She raced inside excitedly and rushed into the guest room that she shared with Matsumoto. Once inside, she shut the door behind her and slumped against it. _What's the matter with me? Ugh, I feel so exhausted… But Hitsugaya-kun is counting on me to be there. And he's already so worried about me, so I can't let him worry anymore._ She sighed softly. "Just a couple more hours of keeping this up and then I can go to sleep. Just a couple more," she whispered to herself. Once she was finally ready, she found the place empty. Hitsugaya had gone ahead, no doubt in preparations for the game, and Momo trudged wearily back to the school grounds. However, even in her dazed state, she felt the uneasiness tingling inside her chest and her heart beat faster. _Something's here,_ she fretted. _I don't want to be alone right now… _She raced around the corner in a mad dash to make it to the school grounds. Closer to other people. Closer to Toshiro. Where she could feel safer, perhaps.

And she wasn't wrong. Not far behind her, a small black hole was tearing open, with eerie eyes peering out at the world of the living. The Menos Grande were here.

**End of chapter 9.**

**Author's note: **Do you know how difficult it was for me to write this? Ugh, I have had the worst case of writer's block, so if this chapter seems forced I am so terribly sorry. Last chapter seemed bad to me, but this one was worse! Hopefully I am over this slump now. I am so glad to be over this chapter. I am also sorry for the long wait only for you guys to be stuck with this sorry excuse for a chapter. Not much fluff, at least I don't think. Kind of a boring chapter. And near the end I had to put in a cliffhanger because I have an 11 page limit on each chapter. It's to keep things consistent in my story here. I'm getting started right now on the next chapter so hopefully you guys won't be waiting so long. Again, I am so terribly sorry. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thank you guys, and take care! See you soon! --Hallie


	10. Gone

**Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. Nor do I own Coca Cola brand. XD**

**A Quick Word From Me: **Thanks to all who read and to kRyStAlt3aRz, KnowledgeandImagination, Soni758, SoullessReaper, and Aiedail's Scepter for reviewing!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 10: Gone**

Once she saw the school grounds, Momo sighed in relief. People were there. She wasn't alone any longer. Slowing her pace, she walked over to the soccer field where the teams were warming up. She glanced down at the shirt she was wearing, blushing slightly when she thought about who it belonged to. Everyone was going to see her wearing Toshiro's shirt. For some reason, she felt oddly happy and shy at the same time.

"Hinamori-chan! There you are!" Matsumoto called over to her. She chuckled when she glanced at the shirt Momo was wearing. "Oh, my, that looks so adorable on you. I'm so glad that Taicho actually worked up the nerve to give that to you. I was wondering for a while there."

She hid her face shyly, the blush deepening. "Matsumoto-san, I…"

"Hinamori!" She turned to see Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime standing behind her. Ichigo said with a grin on his face, "So you made it. Wouldn't want to disappoint Toshiro now would you?"

Rukia elbowed him in the ribs. "I'm sorry for Ichigo, it seems that soccer ball to the head earlier is affecting him."

"Hey, Rukia, shut up!"

"No, no, it's okay," Momo mumbled. "Arigato, Kuchiki-san. I'm not really all that bothered by what he says. I'm certain that it is true. Hitsugaya-kun would be upset with me if I wasn't here. He would be very worried." She wobbled unsteadily for a moment.

Ichigo's expression changed and he looked at the girl in concern. "You seem kinda out of it. Maybe you need to sit down, Hinamori."

She nodded slowly. _Sitting. Resting. That's good. _"I think that sounds like a good idea, Kurosaki-san." Momo made her way slowly over to the bleachers and sat down, staring off into space.

"Watch out!" A ball whizzed past her face and she jumped.

Toshiro came running up to her. "Pay attention," he snapped. "That almost hit you in the face, Hinamori."

"Gomen nasai, Hitsugaya-kun," she replied distractedly.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the wayward soccer ball, then ran back to join his teammates once more. _I thought I told her that if she was too tired she should stay home and rest. At this rate I'm going to be hauling her home like a drunken Matsumoto._ He shrugged and sighed. _Well, she never listened to me before. Why start now?_

They continued on practicing until the coach shouted. "All right! Enough practice! The other team is ready! Let's show 'em what we got!"

The timer for the score board started and sounded off, startling Momo. "Oh, right, Toshiro told me to pay attention," she murmured to herself. Then, she stood. "Go get 'em, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Settle down, Hinamori. The game hasn't even begun yet, you know?" Ichigo came and sat down beside Momo, with Rukia taking a seat on his other side.

Orihime sat on Momo's other side and handed her a soft drink. "Here you go, Hinamori-san," she said with a sympathetic smile. "It has some caffeine in it. Kurosaki-kun said that you looked rather tired, so I thought that maybe this might perk you up."

The raven-haired girl smiled back appreciatively at Orihime. "Arigato, Inoue-san." She took a sip of the beverage absentmindedly, and nearly blanched a moment later. Well, it sure perked her up. But not the way she was expecting. Momo began coughing and gagging. "Inoue-san…" She choked out. "What in the world _is_ this?"

"Oh, like it? It has Coke, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Sprite, Vault, grape juice, pineapple juice, and since I thought it was lacking some flavor I threw in some vegetable juice as well."

"Wow, Hinamori-chan," Rangiku said, coming and sitting beside Orihime. "You're lucky! They ran out of vegetable juice right after Inoue-chan ordered, and so I didn't get any in my drink!"

Forcing a smile, Momo nodded. "Oh, yes. I'm very lucky." _Kill me now, please. A distraction. Anything. _

Suddenly everyone around her cheered and Rukia nudged her. "Hey, Hitsugaya-taicho just scored a goal, did you see that?"

"What?" _No I didn't. I was too busy dying from Inoue-san's strange concoction. _She stood up. "Way to go, Hitsugaya-kun!" She shouted. Suddenly the air tensed up. Momo felt it again. That panicky feeling that she had felt before had returned. Her fists clenched tightly.

"This reiatsu…!" Ichigo exclaimed.

Hitsugaya had stopped with the ball and stared over in their direction. "Hey, Hitsugaya, what gives?" One of his teammates called.

With a deafening roar, something tore through the air and grabbed Momo out of nowhere. Screaming in surprise, she turned as far as she could to get a look at her assailant. Upon seeing him, she screamed again in fear. He looked like he had just stepped out from the bowels of hell. "Hitsugaya-kun!" She shouted the first thing that came to mind.

At that same moment, hundreds of Menos Grande filed in. One knocked over one of the light posts that lit the field, and it fell over the unsuspecting crowd over the other side. Instantly, Ichigo, Rukia, Matsumoto, and Hitsugaya all sprang into action, each leaving their gigai to fight off the Menos and help everyone.

Orihime had rushed over to help the people caught in the bleachers on the other side. Luckily most of the people had escaped injury. The only two that hadn't were a little boy and his mother. The sparking pole lie over them, and she wondered for a moment how she was going to get it off of them, when Chad stepped up behind her. "Let me give it a shot, Inoue," he said simply, using his arm to lift the pole and heave it over the side. "Now I should probably get in there to help Ichigo."

Ichigo himself had pulled out his Zanpakuto and was fighting the Menos. "Getsuga Tenshou!" He shouted, unleashing the tidal wave of spirit energy at the hollow in front of him. There were so many… It was endless. Just then, he felt something behind him and turned to see one poised to strike when it disappeared in a flash of blue light. "Ishida, I thought you didn't like soccer," he called over with a grin.

"I didn't come to watch this stupid game. Anyway, it doesn't look like anyone's playing anymore, does it?" Uryu shot back with a smirk. He lifted his Quincy bow and fired another arrow off, striking a hollow right through the mask.

In the meantime, Rukia and Matsumoto had both been fighting off Menos on the other side of the field. Matsumoto had originally been trying to clear a path for her captain to reach the arrancar that currently was holding Hinamori captive, while Rukia had merely found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time while trying to help Ichigo. Whatever the case, they were now back to back, facing off against no less than a dozen Menos. "Kuchiki-san, what do you think? Should we teach these guys a lesson?"

"I think that would be a wise decision, Matsumoto-fukutaicho," Rukia responded, releasing her Zanpakuto. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

"Growl, Haineko!" Both Zanpakuto unleashed their fury upon the Menos that surrounded them.

And in the meantime, that left Hitsugaya, who was getting really irritated by this point. Every time he struck down two of them in his wake, double the amount would appear. And it seemed that Hinamori was getting further and further from his reach. Her terrified cries were nearly driving him mad. He felt himself growing more and more agitated as yet more hollow appeared in his path. Until finally he was just becoming angry. "Hell with it," he muttered, glaring at the Menos in his path. "Bankai!" Even with his restriction on, that was more than enough to take care of the hollow in his path. "Hyourinmaru!" An ice path was made, cutting through the middle of the Menos. He wasted no time bothering with the rest and used Shunpo to appear in front of the targeted arrancar.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Momo cried out, a mix of worry and relief evident on her face.

"Hold on, Hinamori," he said evenly. He lunged for the arrancar's arm, ready to sever it off, when it sidestepped him and sent him reeling from his own momentum into the side of the bleachers. He was only detained for a moment and came back full force. "Hinamori isn't going with you," he said as his Zanpakuto caught the arrancar in the midsection.

"That isn't what Aizen-sama told me," the arrancar sneered, reaching down and grabbing his own Zanpakuto. He pulled it out and swung at Hitsugaya in one quick fluid motion. "100 Deaths, _Mien!_" He shouted, releasing his Zanpakuto at the captain. An enormous amount of red spirit energy surged Hitsugaya's way.

"Toshiro!" Momo cried, fearful that he'd been hit.

The captain appeared underneath, Hyourinmaru stabbing him through the heart. "I'm not about ready to be taken down by the likes of you."

The arrancar fell, dropping Hinamori in the process. He struggled to see with his fleeting vision, and his eyes now locked on the girl that the captain was holding in his arms. "You… may think… you've won. But Aizen…sama won't stop." His last words he said with a cruel sneer. "How many lives… are you willing to risk… to sacrifice, just so you can save yourself?" He asked her. "Such a pathetic… girl…"

Having heard enough of this, Hitsugaya stabbed him once more and put an end to it. "Momo, don't listen to him," he said when he saw his friend's face. "He didn't know what the hell he was talking about anyway."

Hinamori said nothing, but silently clung to his haori. _He is right. That arrancar… I'm putting everyone in danger. I didn't want to believe it before, but the hollow are after _me_! There's no doubt now in my mind…_ She found that she was slowly losing consciousness. _No! I've done nothing but cause hurt and worry for Hitsugaya-kun! I'm okay! I have to be… please… no, not again… _She slumped against the captain, losing her battle to stay conscious.

"Hinamori?" Hitsugaya asked in a concerned tone when her entire weight dropped onto him. He shifted her in his arms, letting her head rest against his shoulder. Suddenly a feeling of unease washed over him, and he glanced up to see a bunch of Menos firing a cero at them. _Damn, it's not over!_ Finding that they were surrounded, he folded his wings of ice around them both, his body hunched protectively over Momo. He felt the cero make contact with his wings, and gritted his teeth in an effort to hold it back. He'd be damned if he was going to allow it past to hurt Momo. Finally, after it had subsided, his wings opened slightly. He realized that he had to get them out of there. He'd held his bankai for too long, and the power was fading now. His time had almost run out. Tightening his grip on Hinamori with his left arm, he raised Hyourinmaru in the other. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" The icy wave crashed over the offending Menos and they froze in their spot. He landed, panting for breath, and his wings dissolved.

"Toshiro!" A blast of dark spirit energy knocked the rest of the Menos over behind him. Ichigo made his way over to the two. "Is she okay?"

The captain glared up at the substitute shinigami. "It's Hitsugaya-taicho to you."

"Whatever. Don't you have more important things to worry about right now?" Ichigo shot back.

"She's fine. Just exhausted." Hitsugaya turned and surveyed the scene. "I take it everyone else escaped during the fray?"

"Rukia and I cleared the way for everyone, and Chad and Ishida led them out. Everyone is safe. Inoue healed a couple of the people injured, so they'll be fine," Ichigo answered.

"Good." He walked back to his gigai, and rejoined with it. Once that was finished, he found himself rather drained as well. He shifted Momo into a piggy back, with her head resting on the back of his shoulder.

Rangiku approached him, also back into her gigai and looking a little worse for the wear. "Taicho… Is Hinamori-chan all right?"

"Just worn out," he replied. "We all are. Let's get out of here." They waved goodbye to Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, and Ishida and headed back to Orihime's house. Once there, Toshiro lay Momo down on her futon. "Sleep well, Momo," he whispered to her and stood, quietly leaving the room.

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"_Momo, you know what will happen. You know that if you stay with them, you will only kill them. Come back to me. I want you here, by my side."_

"_Aizen…taicho." She saw him standing there in front of her, beckoning for her to come to him as always. But this time she didn't want to. "No. Why can't you just leave me alone? I want nothing more to do with you!"_

_His gaze hardened. "Because, like it or not _Momo,_ you and I are now connected to one another. And as long as you continue to run from me, they will get hurt. All of them around you. Especially your Toshiro." His mouth twitched upward into a cruel grin._

"_Toshi…ro… no…" Tears welled up in her eyes, and a horrendous vision suddenly filled her mind of her snowy-haired captain lying there, frost covering everything, with a ghastly wound to his shoulder as he bled his life out from underneath him. "What do I…? What should I do?" She asked weakly._

"_Come to me. Come to me, Momo, and I'll spare him. If you don't, I will kill him to get to you. If you only sacrifice yourself, it's so much better than allowing the one you love to die before you, isn't it? And of course, it's about what Toshiro wants. Do you think he actually wants to die for _you_ of all people after what you've done to him? He nearly died for your sake before, after you tried to kill him, stomping on those precious memories of your times together, only to follow me. What were you thinking, Momo? It's a wonder that Toshiro doesn't hate you. Oh, no, what if he does?"_

"_Stop it!" Momo screamed, covering her ears._

"_I think I've said enough. You know the right thing to do now, don't you, Momo? And you will do it, won't you? Come find me, Momo, and end Toshiro's suffering."_

_Horrible memories flooded through her and she let out a strangled gasp. "Toshiro… I… I'm sorry…"_

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Tears trailed down the sides of her face as she opened her eyes with a gasp. "Toshi…ro?"

"Thank you for telling me, Urahara-san," sounded Toshiro's voice through the door. "I had suspected it, but now I know for sure. I'm going to have to talk to Hinamori about this. She's certainly caused more unnecessary trouble for herself."

"Well, don't be too hard on her," Urahara spoke in response. "After all, she is having trouble with her memories. It's gotta be quite a confusing time for the poor girl."

"I know, but I am going to talk to her soon. She needs to realize the consequences of her actions and we need to plan our next move."

"Well, wish I could have brought some better news, but it seems not. Goodnight, Toshiro."

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you!" Came his irritated reply. The door closed and it was silent for awhile. Then footsteps came closer to her door and it opened, revealing the white-haired boy.

She pulled the covers up and pretended to be asleep.

"That's not going to work, Hinamori. I knew the moment you woke up." He came and sat down beside her. "We need to talk. I'd suspected it earlier, but I never thought you would be stupid enough to do it. Why did you come into contact with Tobiume that night you went to Urahara's? I believe I specifically told you not to, and yet you disobeyed a direct order from your captain."

She curled up and turned away, feeling hot tears pouring down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry… Toshiro… are you angry with me…?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am. It's as if you're _asking_ to die, Hinamori. Do you realize what you've done? You've only made it harder on yourself!" His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Now Aizen knows where you are, but I assume you already knew that. You've been pretending everything's all right these past couple of weeks, and lying to me about everything! How much _exactly_ do you know, Momo? How much do you remember? Or are you going to lie to me about that as well?"

Momo wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed. "I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-kun, please… I… just… wanted to remember. Even a little more! I haven't said anything because I didn't want you to worry, but… I hate this! Everything! The only reason I knew my own name is because someone told it to me! I couldn't remember who I was, what I wasn't, who was my friend, or who was my enemy!" She whimpered. "Except for you. But I've caused you nothing but trouble, and I can't stand being a burden to you anymore!"

Suddenly, she felt warm, comforting arms around her and felt Toshiro's breath on the back of her neck. "Baka! You're not a burden. Don't you trust me at all? I said I would help you. And I will. But I need you to work with me and not against me. That's the only way we're going to save you."

"I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-kun!" She cried. Turning, Momo buried her face into his chest. _I'm sorry for always being so selfish. I'm going to do the right thing. I know I've done nothing but hurt you and I'm a horrible person for that. But please, just give me a little longer. Aizen, all I ask for is a little more time with Toshiro, before I say goodbye. Before everything falls apart and I lose him forever._ "Toshiro…"

"Momo?" He asked gently, noticing the tears glistening in her eyes. His teal eyes widened in the dark as he felt her lips brush against his. Toshiro deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him with one arm, and using the other hand to wipe her tears away. He moved so that he now knelt over her. "What are you…?"

"I love you. I just wanted you to know that," she whispered.

He frowned slightly. "I love you, too, Momo, but…" He was cut off as she pulled him down on top of her for another kiss. He pulled away slightly, studying her expression in the dim moonlight. A light blush lit her cheeks, and the look in her dark eyes reflected her emotions. A mixture of love, happiness, longing, and… something else. Something that he couldn't consciously recognize, but it caused his heart to beat faster nonetheless.

She voiced that feeling for him. "Toshiro, I… want you." And she closed the distance between them once again.

A thousand emotions flooded through him at once, and this time he didn't pull away from her. Every protest that he'd had before about what she was doing was forgotten, and he realized then, that he wanted her, too.

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The sun was rising. Momo hesitated once again, looking down at Toshiro. Hey lay there, sleeping so peacefully, with almost a smile on his face. So serene. She'd never seen him at peace like that before. A smile graced her lips and she reached down to touch his bare shoulder, when that vision of his lifeless and bloodied body clouded her thoughts again. She pulled back. _If I stay here with you, I'm going to be the death of you. _Two stray tears trickled down her cheeks and landed softly on the cool skin of his arm, and then she was gone. Momo knew what she had to do.

She raced down the streets. Perhaps what she'd done was the wrong thing last night. She'd never wanted to hurt him, but maybe she was going to hurt him even more now. She had only wanted to show him how much she loved him. Hinamori Momo knew that she wasn't going to live for much longer, and with all of the regrets she'd had of mistakes she'd made in the past, she somehow felt better. At least Toshiro would know that she loved him. She would always love him. Even if she lost her soul to Aizen and his evil schemes, her heart would always belong to Hitsugaya Toshiro.

She made it to Urahara's shop. She stood in front of the door and knocked. "Why hello, there Hinamori-san, what can I do for you?" Urahara said, greeting her with his trademark smile. It faded when he saw the dark look in her eyes. "Come in."

"You know what I'm here for. I want Tobiume back."

"Uh-huh. And did you happen to tell Hitsugaya-taicho what you were planning on doing?" He asked her with a frown.

"Yes, I did," she replied calmly.

He saw through her lie, but played along and led her into the room, gesturing to the sword lying there on the shelf. "Right. Well, if you're sure that this is what you want, Momo-"

"It is." Without hesitation, she grabbed the Zanpakuto, instantly separating from her gigai. Gasping, she fell to one knee.

"There's no turning back now for sure, you know," Urahara said grimly.

She nodded, and slowly stood, sheathing the Zanpakuto beside her. "I know. Thank you for your concern, but I'll be okay."

"If he comes here, I'm not going to stop him," Urahara warned her.

She glanced over at the shopkeeper, slightly confused. "But you allowed me to-"

"Even if I'd have refused, I can see that determination. You would have found a way to take it from me. And what right do I have to withhold something that belongs to you? However, I think it's foolish of you to try and take everything on yourself." He frowned at her and folded his arms across his chest. "So there you have it. Just one simple man's opinion. Take it or leave it."

Hinamori gave him a small smile as she was leaving. "I'll keep it in mind. Thank you." She raced through the streets, something deep down guiding her, until she found it. A portal had been opened at the end of Karakura Town. A gate to Hueco Mundo.

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Toshiro opened his eyes and glanced over, first noticing that Momo was not there with him. He then noticed a slight wetness on his arm, and touched it. Tears? Alarmed now, he sprang to his feet, hastily throwing some clothes on when he noticed the letter on the table beside the futon. He opened it, hands trembling as he read it.

"_Shiro-chan, _

_I'm so sorry for lying to you one last time. But this is the truth: I love you. Please don't forget that. I'm so afraid, Toshiro, of losing you. I've been having horrible visions as of late, of you dying while trying to save me. I know that Aizen has been manipulating me, and maybe you think I'm being foolish for going to confront him once again, but I would rather die myself than to watch you throw your life away for me; someone who's caused you nothing but pain and suffering over the years. I don't remember everything. I'm pretty sure that now I never will, but I do know that I've had so many regrets about you. Deep in my heart, I'm certain this is the reason I never forgot you, even when I lost my memories of everything else. And so I want to say that over these last few weeks, I've had no regrets. Nor do I regret last night. That is truly how I feel about you. I always will. And nothing makes me happier, Shiro-chan, than knowing that you will be safe. Thank you for everything. And please, I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me someday. For the first time, I truly believe that I've made the right choice. Goodbye._

_Love always, Momo"_

**End of chapter 10.**

**Author's note: **You guys probably wanna kill me right now. But would it be too much if I asked you to review? I promise, I won't keep you waiting long! I'm on a roll now! See you soon!-- Hallie


	11. Alone

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A Quick Word From Me: **I must admit I'm surprised so many people are upset with Momo (I actually think it's kind of sweet that she's gone off alone because she thinks she's saving Shiro-chan). Sure, she's misguided a little, and quite naïve, but still… Her intentions aren't Aizen-serving this time. Thank you for reading this far and a special thanks to KnowledgeandImagination, Aiedail's Scepter, Harpylove1, kRyStAlt3aRz, Soni758, nifty nutter butter, and SoullessReaper for reviewing. A lot of you have stuck through it with me this far, and that means the world to me. We're roughly half-way there to the end give or take, so… for now, enjoy!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 11: Alone**

The letter crumpled in his hands as they clenched tightly into fists. Hitsugaya Toshiro was angry. Not just angry, but _furious_. Was that how she saw him? Did she think that he _wouldn't_ willingly die for her? After what they had just shared the night before, that letter was almost like a slap in the face. It hurt him more than even having her point Tobiume in his direction and seeing the confused hatred in her eyes. "Hinamori…" The temperature dropped significantly in the area surrounding him, and outside the wind howled, bringing in clouds from the distance. "Baka! What in the hell makes you think that I won't come after you?" He growled.

"Taicho! What's the matter?" Matsumoto had sensed his reiatsu and was knocking on the door. She entered the room, cringing at the tension in the air.

"Matsumoto, get online with Unohana right away and meet me at Urahara's after. Hinamori has done something incredibly stupid." His normally icy teal eyes flashed at his vice-captain dangerously, a raging sea now visible in their depths.

"H-hai, Taicho." His lieutenant knew better than to argue. Her captain was livid right now. In fact, she hadn't seen him this upset before, even when he'd broken down in front of her that on that evening those many weeks before. Not wasting another moment, she nearly tripped over herself scrambling to get out of the room and online with the 4th Squad captain.

Taking in a deep breath, the boy closed his eyes and calmed himself. Finally, he stepped out, the icy mask back in place. It didn't change the way he felt, however. Not one bit. _I just might push to have her rank taken away for good if this keeps up. She is not fit to be a vice-captain pulling stunts like this._ He decided that abandoning his gigai was best, and used Shunpo, arriving at Urahara's shop. He knocked on the door, impatiently waiting for an answer.

The door opened, and the shopkeeper frowned upon seeing him. Instead of the usual greeting, he stepped aside and said, "Time is of the essence. She came by here about an hour and a half ago. She left with Tobiume, and headed north-west. I'm certain that if you were to contact Soul Society, based on the amount of reiatsu given off, they could tell you exactly where she went."

"I know where she went. She left for Hueco Mundo. Aizen manipulated her into going back so he could finish whatever it was that we'd interrupted before." Toshiro's voice was flat, totally devoid of emotion.

After a long pause, Urahara noticed the blank expression on the captain's face, and realized that the boy was lost in thought. No doubt this turn of events had shaken him quite a bit. Urahara could see how much that girl meant to the boy captain. "Perhaps you would like to notify the rest of the Gotei 13 of your discoveries here," he supplied helpfully, breaking the silence. "Afterward, come back here, and decide on what you're going to do. You know I can help you get into Hueco Mundo, even in the unstable state it's in right now."

Nodding slowly, Hitsugaya turned and left, mumbling a quiet thank you. He bolted out the door and used his Shunpo to get back to Matsumoto. He burst into the living room just in time to see her end the transmission with Unohana. "Matsumoto, what did she have to say?"

"They know the last location where Hinamori-chan was," she answered. "But they can't determine what caused the distortion, and so she suggested that we talk with Urahara Kisuke, and see if there isn't a way that he can help us from over here to find a way to Hueco Mundo."

"There's a way," Toshiro said softly. "He said so himself. I need to get a hold of the head-captain before we do anything on our own."

She folded her arms. "Always so calm and collected, Taicho. Even now, when you're worried sick about her and you know it."

Hitsugaya said nothing, only activating the giant monitor in Orihime's living room.

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The pain within her was back with a vengeance this time. Momo raced through the barren deserts that were Hueco Mundo, and winced as another pain tore through her. _My… memories…_ She knew that it was from her memories. She was remembering much more, now. _If I survive, I have so many people that I need to apologize to,_ she thought. _Rangiku-san, Kira-kun, but most of all… Hitsugaya-kun. _Tears stung her eyes at the thought of her beloved friend. She knew that she'd no doubt hurt him. But she was afraid for him. She remembered those visions that she'd kept having of him lying there, bleeding out on the floor. Aizen had said that no harm would come to him, if Momo obeyed. So, even if it meant dying, or suffering with this pain for the rest of her life, she was willing to do it.

She stopped for a moment, catching her breath, and looked around at the barren terrain around her. Hinamori glanced up at the Hueco Mundo moon and shivered. "I hate this place," she whispered to herself. It was so cold there; so lonely. She squeezed her eyes shut, but pressed on. The memories became more vivid with each step; clearer with each passing second, but the pain grew more intense. Her left hand clutched at her chest in an attempt to ease the pain she was feeling in her heart, but to no avail. Momo was far too preoccupied to realize that the ground beneath her was giving way. She cried out as it collapsed and she found herself falling… down… deeper… further… Then, nothing, but darkness.

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"Speaking frankly, Hitsugaya-taicho, if it didn't seem that Hinamori was so vital to Aizen's plans, I would have called you back here to the Soul Society," Yamamoto said.

The 10th Division captain bit back a retort. After a long pause for deliberation on his words, Hitsugaya finally spoke. "What is it that you wish for me to do, Head Captain? Are you certain that we can risk allowing Hinamori to fall into Aizen's hands?"

"No. We cannot run that risk. If he does indeed have plans, it could very well mean the end of the Soul Society. Which is why you are to go to Hueco Mundo to retrieve Hinamori. I am sending along Abarai-fukutaicho with you. You are also to ask for the assistance of Kurosaki Ichigo, the substitute shinigami for this matter as well. Matsumoto-fukutaicho will take over the supervision of your squad in your absence. In addition to finding Hinamori, you must also try and investigate just what Aizen is truly plotting. Understood?"

"Hai," Hitsugaya responded shortly with a bow. "I will take my leave now," he said briskly.

"Good luck, Hitsugaya-taicho."

"Arigato." He ended the transmission and looked to Matsumoto. "You're going to have to leave. Send Abarai over to Kurosaki's house when he gets to the world of the living, got it? I'll meet him there, and we'll leave."

Orihime stepped in. "Oh! Matsumoto-san! Were you leaving? Toshiro-kun, where is Hinamori-san?"

Toshiro stood. "Gomen ne, Inoue, there's no time!" He pushed past her. "I'm off to Kurosaki's!" He was gone in an instant.

"Matsumoto-san?"

"I'm sorry, Inoue-chan. If you want to know more, go to Ichigo's place. Hinamori-chan is missing, and we are all in a hurry to find her. If we waste anymore time…"

"Right, I understand," she interrupted, pushing Rangiku out the door. "You're in a hurry, right? I'm going over to Kurosaki-kun's house and see if there isn't something I can do to help as well." She bolted out the door and raced down the block, following Toshiro to Ichigo's place. It took only a matter of a few minutes and she was at his front door, breathless. She knocked softly, trying to catch her breath.

One of Ichigo's sisters answered the door. "Hey, Ichigo's upstairs with Toshiro right now. Did you need them for something?"

"Oh, good. They haven't left yet! Please, may I go up there?" Orihime asked, knowing that she must have sounded pretty rude, but right now that wasn't important.

Karin stepped aside. "Go for it."

Thanking the girl, Orihime rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Kurosaki-kun!" She called, knocking on his door.

Ichigo opened the door, a wide-eyed expression at seeing Orihime there. "Inoue, what are you doing here?"

She took a moment to survey his room. Renji stood, arms folded leaning against the wall. Rukia sat on Ichigo's bed with Kon on her lap. Toshiro was perched on the windowsill, looking incredibly anxious. "Um, Kurosaki-kun, I want to help you," she said softly. "What is going on?"

Ichigo cleared his throat. "Hinamori is missing. She left for Hueco Mundo, but, Inoue, this is a very dangerous mission. And, well, we're leaving right away. Time is of the essence. So, I think it'd be better if you stayed behind this time."

"O-oh, I-I see…" Orihime said, tears welling up in her eyes. She glanced over at Rukia. Of course she was going. Everyone in that room, Ichigo saw fit to help him… except for her. She turned around. "G-good luck, everyone! Hurry back, all right?" She hurried out the door, praying that Ichigo wouldn't see those tears of hurt.

"Inoue!" Ichigo made a move to go after her, and stopped her. "Look, I'm only saying this, because of what happened before… with Aizen. And, naturally, we can run faster than you. Would you stay at Urahara's, Inoue? Stay there, because, I know that we'll need someone there to wait. It's going to be a hard battle, and…"

"I'll be there, to help heal everyone when you all return," Orihime finished quietly. She gave him a watery smile. "I'll be there, Kurosaki-kun. I promise."

"Oy, Ichigo! Hurry up! Hitsugaya-taicho is getting impatient!" Renji called from inside his room.

"I hear you, I hear you!" Ichigo snapped.

Orihime gave him a small smile. "You'd best be going, Kurosaki-kun. Hinamori-san needs you all right now. I'll be waiting." _Even if I'm not the one, I'll be waiting._ She glanced one more time into the room at Rukia, before taking her leave.

Watching her retreating back for a moment, Ichigo returned to everyone else in the room. "Are we ready to do this or what?" He used his substitute shinigami badge and jumped out of his body. "Kon, you stay here with my body in case something happens." He ordered.

"You know, Ichigo, you can't just boss me around," the stuffed animal barked back. "And you couldn't have let Orihime-chan stay here and keep me company?!"

Ichigo chose to ignore Kon, and said to everyone else, "I'll meet you all at Urahara's. Let's get going."

Hitsugaya wordlessly leapt out of the window, with Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo following him. He raced on ahead, making it to Urahara's first. He knocked, and then crossed his arms. When the door opened, he nodded to Jinta. "The others are coming," he said to the boy.

True enough, Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia appeared at the door moments after Hitsugaya had stepped inside.

Once everyone was gathered in the back room, Urahara Kisuke turned to them. "All right. Everyone, downstairs." He led the way and turned to them. "Now, before, I had sent Ichigo here to Hueco Mundo when Inoue disappeared. It was deadly enough. Now, however, it's going to be even worse, with the unstable condition that it is in. You will have to completely concentrate your reiatsu together, as one person's will not be enough to sustain a path alone. I will not be able to secure a path back home. So it will be a one-way journey there until you are able to locate Hinamori. However, if my hypothesis is correct, she is directly connected with Hueco Mundo, and by using her, you will be able to secure a path back home."

Ichigo raised a brow. "So you're saying that Hinamori _may _be able to get us back home? What if she can't?"

Urahara shrugged. "Then I was wrong and she can't."

"And we're stuck there," Ichigo finished.

Hitsugaya spoke up. "I'm going. I'm willing to take the chance. If all of you are not, it's all right. But I need to go, alone if I must."

"Toshiro! You'd never make it!" Ichigo protested.

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you. And it isn't your business if you're not coming along," Hitsugaya replied harshly.

"Well, I'm going," Renji spoke up. "Hitsugaya-taicho was ordered to go to Hueco Mundo, and I was ordered to accompany him. But more than that, Hinamori was his childhood friend. If Rukia were in that situation, I wouldn't hesitate to go. If it were me, I would appreciate that others were helping me. Hinamori is also my friend. So I'm going. Ichigo, you can be a chicken if you want, but I'm going to help Hitsugaya-taicho."

"Renji…" Rukia said, touched by his words.

"Hey! I'm not a chicken, and I never said I wasn't going!" Ichigo shouted at Renji.

Renji shot back, "Then why were you just complaining about 'what-if's'? So what if Hinamori can't send us back. Let's cross that bridge when we get to it!"

"That's just what I was gonna say! Stop trying to steal my lines!" Ichigo growled.

"Okay, both of you, knock it off!" Rukia snapped, butting in. "We're all going, Urahara-san. It's decided."

"…Arigato," Hitsugaya murmured, turning his eyes away from them so they wouldn't see his embarrassment.

"All right, for now, everyone, stand back until I fully open the gate to Hueco Mundo," Urahara announced. The space in front of him suddenly was ripped apart by the black energy of Hueco Mundo in a blast of wind. Urahara stood firm, even when his hat was blown off in the gust. Finally, the air evened out and he turned to everyone. "All right. Everyone go on ahead now."

"Kurosaki-kun! Toshiro! Good luck! I'll be here!" Orihime called from the distance as she had just arrived on the scene to see them all off.

Hitsugaya nodded. He glanced up at Urahara. "Arigato. I _will _be back. With Hinamori." With that said, he disappeared into the darkness.

"Oy, Toshiro! Wait up!" Ichigo hollered, jumping in after, followed by Renji and Rukia. Once inside, they were met with that horrendous gust once again. The wind howled and the ground shook horribly. "Toshiro!"

"Shut up, I'm right ahead of you," the captain snapped. "If you're so intent on breaking my concentration, why don't you lend me some support with your own reiatsu while you're at it?" Indeed, Hitsugaya was only a few feet ahead of them, struggling, with the ground shaking at his feet. It hadn't been this difficult before when the Soul Society had secured a route to Hueco Mundo, but apparently, with Urahara it was different.

They all fell silent, each concentrating their reiatsu together to create a path. They found that the further they went into the dark tunnel, the harder it became.

Rukia cried out when she tripped and nearly fell to her doom when Ichigo caught her. "Rukia, you okay?" He asked, pulling her up. When she merely nodded, he released her arm. "We're going to need to pick up the pace. We're not gonna last much longer here," he said, springing ahead.

Renji had fallen back beside Rukia. "Let's go," he said encouragingly.

"Yes," she murmured in determination and they both caught up to Ichigo and Toshiro.

"I see something," Ichigo shouted. "It's Hueco Mundo. Come on, guys!" He urged everyone. Not a moment too soon, because the path underneath their feet was giving in, collapsing in on itself.

They all sprang ahead, adrenaline rushing through them all, and jumped out of the unstable portal, landing in the 'safety' of Hueco Mundo, just as the pathway disappeared altogether.

"That was close," Renji muttered.

"Baka, that was because you were talking the whole time with Rukia and slowing us all down," Ichigo shouted.

"_Me_? You were the one who wouldn't shut up the whole way there!"

Rukia stepped in between them both. "Both of you, knock it _off!"_

The whole time, Hitsugaya had remained silent, his eyes closed. He was searching for her. Through the static in the air, and the constant earthquakes he could feel in the distance, he began to feel something familiar… His eyes shot open. _Hinamori, I found you. Hold on!_ He glanced back to the others and rolled his eyes at the bickering. "Hinamori is here. I can just barely feel her reiatsu, meaning that she's weakened immensely, or far away. But if we don't hurry, we're not going to find her." He spoke, cutting into the arguing. "I'm going on ahead."

"Hitsugaya-taicho, wait up!" Renji shouted, forgetting his feud with Ichigo and rushing ahead after the captain.

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged a look and followed after the two, anxious to find Hinamori as well and get out of that place.

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The first thing she felt was an immense hurting in her head. She chanced opening an eye, regretting it soon after. She moaned in agony, sitting upright. The constant pain from her memories was still there, but this new injury was just adding to it. "Ugh… I have to… get up…" She managed to stand up after a time, legs shaking and threatening to buckle beneath her. Finally steady for the moment, Momo looked around. "Where…am I…?" She was standing beside a rather large tree. Around her were more trees. It was a forest… of darkness. "Oh, no… this is the Menos Forest…" She gasped. There were much deadlier hollow down here. She sank to her knees. In the condition she was in now… well, she wasn't stupid. She could do the math. There was just no way she would survive an encounter with anything down there. _But, I have to try. Or this'll have been for nothing and Aizen will kill Toshiro anyway!_ At that horrible thought, Momo managed to stand, and continued onward, barely aware that blood was dripping down the side of her face from a gash on her forehead. _I have… to keep going…_ She gasped and whirled around when the trees rustled behind her, and some fierce hollow emerged. Her blood was attracting them. Shakily, Momo pulled Tobiume out. "Hajike, Tobiume!" She screamed, and unleashed all of the power she could muster in a kido blast from her Zanpakuto.

It struck the hollow, knocking it back a few feet but otherwise did nothing.

"W-why…?" Momo asked weakly. She was done for. She knew it. She had no more strength left to fight. She'd used it all up in her already weakened state trying to kill the hollow.

It approached her, ready to swipe at her when a flash of red darted in front of her and struck it down.

Her savior stopped in front of her. He wore a hollow's mask, and had dark auburn hair. "Are you all right, Rukia?" He asked her.

_He thinks I'm Kuchiki-san? _"Who…?" Momo found herself asking. "Are… you…?" Everything went fuzzy and she collapsed.

The man stood over her, frowning to himself. "Wait. She isn't Rukia." He muttered. "Who is she?" He picked the girl up and took her with him, hoping to get her to a safer place. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't in very good shape. He avoided the nearby Menos and darted through the trees, jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree. Finally, a rocky cliff was visible with an entrance to a cavern. He picked up the pace and made it into the cave, setting the girl down and checking her over for injuries. He took off his mask and examined her more closely. The man then grabbed some cloths and dabbed her forehead with them, cleaning the blood off that had begun to stain her hair and wrapped her head in a bandage. Once he was done he sat and watched over the girl quietly.

After about an hour in silence, her pained moans filled the air. "Ah…" She awoke and her eyes widened in terror when she saw the hollow mask. "No!" She jumped to her feet too fast and collapsed, with the man catching her.

"It's all right. There's no hollow here," he said softly. "Lie down and rest."

"But… who are you?" Momo asked weakly, obeying him.

"My name is Ashido. What is your name? You are injured, and appear to be too weak to survive in this forest. Why are you here?" He questioned her.

"My name is Momo. Hinamori Momo," she responded softly. "I'm here to protect someone I love. I'm not strong enough, though." She turned away.

Ashido stood. "You are lucky that I was there. I actually had thought you were someone else."

"You mean Kuchiki-san?" Hinamori supplied.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "So you know Rukia?"

"Hai. She and I are both shinigami from the Gotei 13 after all."

"I suppose that's to be expected," Ashido murmured. "But you're so weak. Even your reiatsu is…"

Momo sighed. "There's… something wrong with me. That's why I'm here. The only chance I have of making anything better and protecting those I care about is by coming here and trying to stop Aizen and the rest of the arrancar."

"You don't stand a chance, Momo."

She blinked at the usage of her first name. This man obviously was not much on manners and people skills, was he? But he was right. "I know that. But… it's all I can do. Aizen stole a part of my soul," Momo explained. "He locked it away into something called… a Boundary Key, that's supposed to be able to transcend time and space…" She trailed off, and winced, straining herself to remember. "My memories are fuzzy because of this, and I'm weaker, but the only way to try and regain what I've lost is to come here."

He nodded. "I see. There have been some strange occurrences in the Menos Forest as of late. Perhaps it has to do with this 'Boundary Key' you speak of. I will assist you out of this forest, but in the shape that you are in…" He paused, suddenly aware of a new presence. "Wait! Something's coming. Several strong reiatsu are headed in this direction. Stay here and rest. I will investigate it." He ran to the entrance and disappeared, leaving Momo to her troubled thoughts.

**End of chapter 11.**

**Author's Note: **Please review me if you have a chance and tell me how you liked this chapter and the reappearance of Ashido. I wish that would happen in the anime. Probably not, but a girl can dream, right? And yes, I had to throw some IchiHime/IchiRuki drama in there. I feel so bad for Orihime. She loves Ichigo, but he seems to be leaning more toward Rukia. I really couldn't say which pairings I prefer when it comes to them. Really, I can't. I can see reasons for them both. And I like all of the characters. Well, anyway, I'll attempt to update soon. I'm nursing a monstrous headache so I'll close. 'Night!-- Hallie


	12. Unhappy Reunions

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A Quick Word From Me:** So many reviews! Thank you so much everyone for reading this, and especially to the reviewers. Those who reviewed this chapter: KnowledgeandImagination, Sonozaki-sama, Colorless Wind, Aiedail's Scepter, PrincessofHeartsNYP, and Kinaia, thank you guys (gals)!

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 12: Unhappy Reunions**

They had stopped at an area a bit closer to where Hinamori's reiatsu was being felt. Hitsugaya felt his blood run cold when he saw the hole in the ground. "Hina…mori…"

"It looks like someone fell through here recently," Ichigo observed. "That happened before to us."

"We should look into it. Hinamori's in danger if she really did fall into the Meno's Forest, especially in her current condition," Rukia said softly.

Hitsugaya didn't have to be told twice. Without hesitation, he jumped into the darkness. He landed on a tree branch, and glanced around his surroundings. He could feel Hinamori's reiatsu a bit stronger now, but still it was weak. Far too weak for his comfort. He called up impatiently to the others. "I'm going on ahead, so are you coming or not?"

Ichigo dropped down next to him. "I'm coming, geez," he huffed. "Touchy today, aren't you, Toshiro?"

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho," he snapped irritably. He strode on ahead and nearly missed it, but stopped and did a double-take. His aqua eyes widened in fear. _Blood…_ Against the bottom of a tree branch was a pool of blood. He was over there in the blink of an eye, kneeling and touched it gingerly. "Momo," he whispered faintly.

"Hitsugaya-taicho? What did you find?" Renji asked him. He approached the captain and saw for himself. Worry for his friend overcame him. "We have to find her quickly," he spoke, standing and quickly moving onward. He paused. "There's more blood, Taicho. It's a trail of blood, which means that if it's hers, then she is on the move."

Hitsugaya nodded. He motioned for everyone else to follow, and quickly, they ran along the trail of blood. The closer they got, the weaker Momo's spirit energy was becoming. Dread filled his heart. What if they were to come across Momo, only to find her dead? What would he do? He desperately ignored that thought and pushed on ahead.

Just as they made it to a clearing near a cliff, Rukia spoke up. "Wait a minute, I recognize this place!"

Before anyone could ask what she meant, Hitsugaya pulled Hyourinmaru out from its sheath and blocked an attack from another's Zanpakuto. He jumped away and studied the enemy that had appeared from out of nowhere. He wore a hollow mask, and messy auburn hair fell in the back. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The offender said nothing and leapt at him once more. Their blades clashed, and both darted around each other, trying to gauge the opponent for a weakness. The man in the hollow mask swung his Zanpakuto once again, striking against Hyourinmaru.

"Wait, it can't be… Ashido!" Rukia shouted.

The man stopped and regarded her, giving Hitsugaya the opportunity to strike at him with his Zanpakuto. He fell to the ground, the hollow mask falling from his face. "Rukia…" He said, wincing. "I _thought_ I sensed your reiatsu here once again… I mistook that other girl for you."

"Other girl?" Renji asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ashido stood. "Yes, there is someone I've hidden away. She's not doing too well. You know her as well, apparently. Her name is…"

"Hinamori." Hitsugaya cut in, sheathing his Zanpakuto.

"Hai. It's good that you all know her. I don't think that she would have survived the journey through the Menos Forest alone. I apologize for attacking you all. I was concerned at the high reiatsu you were giving off. Especially when that girl is so weak right now."

The silver haired captain shook his head. "No. Not at all. Thank you for protecting her."

Ashido nodded. "It's all right." He led the way back to his cavern, stepping aside and allowing them to enter.

Hitsugaya looked around and noticed her still form lying on the futon near the corner. "Hinamori!" He crossed the room quickly and knelt down beside her. He winced, seeing the bandage covering her forehead, and the red tint to her hair near her injury. Gingerly, he reached out and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. _Stupid. I can't believe how stupid you are, Bed Wetter,_ he thought, anger rising above his grief.

She stirred and opened her eyes, instantly pulling back in horror at what she saw. "Hitsugaya-kun… no," she whispered. "Please, no… You didn't follow me here. I'm dreaming, aren't I? I have to be…"

"Of course I'm here, baka!" He shouted furiously, causing every eye in the small cavern to turn to him. "Of course I followed you! What the hell else would you expect from me, Hinamori?!" His hands clenched into fists and his aqua eyes blazed with fury at the girl in front of him.

She found that she couldn't look into those eyes. The look he was giving her could have frozen Tobiume a hundred times over. She had never seen him this angry before; not with her. "Hitsugaya-kun, I…"

"Not Hitsugaya-_kun_!" He cut her off. "Hitsugaya-taicho! Do you honestly think that I can forgive you for everything that you've just put not only me, but everyone else here through!? Think about the danger you put Soul Society in! All for Aizen, _again!_ Always for him! And the other night… after we…" He turned away, unable to look at her anymore. "After all of that…"

Sensing that this was getting rather personal, Ichigo cleared his throat and urged Rukia and the others out of the tiny cavern. "Come on, guys, this isn't our business," he said.

Rukia protested. "Hey, what's your problem! They may need us in there for something!"

"They need some space," Ashido interrupted her. "Let's go." He walked out, followed by the others, leaving Hitsugaya and Hinamori both alone.

It was silent for a few moments. Then, "I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said softly.

"Don't call me that, Hinamori. I'm not… Hitsugaya-kun to you. Not after this. After you lied to me about how you felt and then left once again, I've had it."

"Toshiro… please…" Momo begged softly. "I did it because I love you. Because after everything I've done to you… I would rather die than see you be hurt anymore!"

"I'm a captain, Hinamori," he said coldly. "You are going to address me as such starting now. There is nothing else between us, do you understand?"

Tears rolled down her face, and she let out a quiet sob. "Then, tell me, why did you come to save me? Why come after me if you no longer care for me? Why risk yourself for me?"

He turned to face her, his icy emerald eyes glaring down at her. "Because I was ordered to. When you are ready, we are leaving this place. Understood?"

Momo couldn't answer him. Her shoulders shook, and the hurting in her chest was unbearable. On top of that, she now had a new anguish: a broken heart. She knew that she deserved it, oh, did she know. But, still, that didn't make it feel better. In fact, she only felt worse. Unable to stand the pain any longer, she gasped, clutching her hand to her chest, before collapsing unto the futon, unconscious.

Immediately, Hitsugaya rushed over to check on her, inwardly cursing at himself. How could he say those things to Momo? Guilt flooded through him. Of course he hadn't meant to lash out quite like that to her. He had just been so hurt; so angry. He still was. He wasn't ready to forgive her, and so he had struck out at her. That only turned his fury inward at himself, and now he wondered if he would ever be able to forgive himself. Hitsugaya stood and quietly left the cavern. He couldn't quell his worry for Momo this time. He couldn't brush it aside. He knew that she was weakening, but he also knew that they couldn't afford to allow her the rest she needed. Now, with his temporary idiocy he'd just pushed her away, making it more difficult to stay by her side and help her. Hitsugaya now knew that if he could forgive her for what she'd done there would still be one obstacle: would _she_ forgive and trust _him_ so willingly next time? It wasn't likely. He shook his head. _What a mess._

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"Hinamori-san! Hinamori-san, wake up." Momo opened her tired eyes and saw Rukia's face. "Come on, we need to leave."

"H-hai…" Momo answered, sitting up. She noticed that after she'd last passed out she wasn't hurting so much anymore. Finally, she stood. "Was everyone waiting?"

"It's all right," Rukia said. "You needed it. Do you think that you'll be all right?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine. I should have gone on ahead…"

"No! Don't go alone. I mean, we're here to investigate and confront Aizen if need be," Rukia interrupted. "So, that's on your list of things to do, right?"

"I suppose," Hinamori sighed. It wasn't like she had much left to worry about with Hitsugaya. He'd made it pretty clear that their friendship and anything else that came with it was over. But she still couldn't help but worry about him. _Even if you hate me… I would hate myself if anything were to happen to you, because I still love you…_ She stepped out of the cavern and caught sight of Hitsugaya, giving him a timid smile. Her heart sank when he looked away. _He really does hate me…_ Tears stung her eyes.

His cold voice broke through. "Hinamori-san, we're leaving. Are you certain that you'll be able to keep up the pace?"

Her brown eyes widened at how he addressed her. He really did hate her, didn't he? And he was serious. Lowering her eyes, she answered quietly, "I'm not your concern, Hitsugaya-taicho. Please don't trouble yourself over me."

_Hitsugaya-taicho_. She had finally used that name, after all those years that he spent constantly nagging her to call him that. And for some reason now, it didn't sound right rolling off of Hinamori's tongue. It sounded foreign and cold. He bit back the urge to tell her to call him Hitsugaya-kun again. Why bother? He'd lashed out at her so severely that he was certain she would never allow him that close to her again. "Fine. Do as you will," he muttered. "Let's go."

Everyone raced through the forest, Ashido leading the way. It was silent for a time until Rukia managed to catch up with the red-haired shinigami. "I'm really glad to see that you're all right," she told him.

"Of course I wouldn't have died," he replied. "I've been fighting down here for hundreds of years, and it will take more than a few Gillian to kill me."

Rukia nodded. "I knew, but still, I worried about you."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're all right as well, Rukia. I must admit I was concerned when I first felt your reiatsu here once again." The mask was lifted on his face so she could see the sincerity on his eyes, even as he'd kept them fixed on the path ahead of them.

The dark-haired shinigami said nothing, but smiled gently in turn. Words weren't needed. They'd both said what they needed.

Cliffs were visible now. Ashido stopped. "If you climb these, you'll be able to get out of this forest and up onto the higher terrains of Hueco Mundo once again," he announced to everyone. "Good luck to you all."

Hinamori blinked. "Ashido, you aren't going to come with us?"

"No, Momo. My mission is to stay here and fight off the hollow."

She approached him. "I'm sorry. You're going to be all alone once again. When will your mission be over? When will you be able to return home?"

"I'll return home once this forest is no longer overrun with Menos. Once Hueco Mundo is no longer a threat to the world of the living," he answered her.

She managed a smile. "I'll do what I can to make sure that happens for you, then, Ashido. Thank you for saving my life."

"You don't need to thank me. I hope that you're able to regain what you've lost, Momo. Perhaps we'll all meet again, so I won't say goodbye." Ashido bowed to them, before turning around and retreating slowly back into the dark forest.

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It seemed as though hours had passed since they had once again reached the surface. Everyone traveled along the seemingly never ending wastelands that were Hueco Mundo silently.

Momo had fallen behind yet again, unable to keep up with the rest of them. She was getting more fatigued the closer they came to the fortress. Finally, Hitsugaya called out for a break, and Hinamori gratefully collapsed into the sand.

He sighed and knelt by her. "Hinamori… are you all right?" He asked quietly, the feelings of worry winning the battle over his anger toward her.

Apparently, she hadn't forgotten what had transpired between them, either. "Hitsugaya-taicho, I already told you that you shouldn't worry about me. You have your mission that needs to be accomplished. I'm slowing everyone down, so just leave me here," she replied softly.

"You're part of my mission, Hinamori!"

"Oh! So now it's not 'Hinamori-_san_' anymore?" She met his gaze, her almond eyes full of sadness and anger.

He softened his gaze. "What I said before… I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm angry with you. I still haven't forgiven you. But at the very least, Hinamori, you're still my friend."

"How can I believe that?" Momo asked, voice quiet but cutting nonetheless. "I can't believe you. I can't believe Aizen. I can't trust anyone anymore. Whenever I open up and let someone in, I always end up hurt!"

Hitsugaya paused, then finally mumbled, "I never meant to hurt you, Hinamori. Just like I know that it wasn't your intention to hurt me." He was interrupted by a rumbling in the ground.

Momo screamed, a sharp pain tearing through her being as the ground began to crack beneath them. She fell to her knees, unable to move.

"Momo!" Hitsugaya shouted, springing into action and grabbing her just as the ground collapsed from under her. "Are you all right?!" He asked worriedly.

Her hands held tightly onto his haori and she leaned into him, seeking his comfort. "Shiro-chan… it's this place! I hate it here! It hurts so much…"

Her friend said nothing. He knew that they couldn't afford to have him get distracted while he avoided patches of ground crumbling underneath them. He tightened his grip on Momo and used Shunpo, racing across the desert. He glanced behind him, checking to see if the others had made it. Once he caught a glimpse of them, he was reassured and continued racing along toward the fortress. He figured that the fortress was most likely the only stable place in Hueco Mundo right at that moment. They raced along like that for what seemed to be hours, until they stopped at the gates.

Ichigo crossed his arms. "What do we do now? Bust down the door?"

"Oh, yeah, great idea, Ichigo," Renji snapped. "Like that would be nice and subtle wouldn't it?"

"Well, it's not like the doors are just gonna magically open for us…!" Just then, as if to answer Ichigo, the doors to the castle opened. Ichigo's mouth dropped open.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rukia warned everyone.

"My… memories…" Momo pushed out of Toshiro's arms.

"Hinamori?" Hitsugaya reached out for her but hesitated when he saw his friend's behavior. She was in some sort of trance, and most likely couldn't hear him, he realized.

She stumbled on ahead, arms stretching out into the darkness, as if reaching for something that only she could see. "They're… here…"

"Hinamori-kun, come back!" Renji called after her.

Hitsugaya nodded at everyone else. "Let's follow her. She might even lead us to what we're looking for." He followed closely behind Hinamori as she wandered the dark hallways of the castle, everyone else behind him. He had a deep sense of foreboding. Something was wrong. Not once had they been attacked inside the castle. Actually, the only times that they'd been attacked were in the Menos Forest come to think of it. _It's a trap! I know it is!_ Hitsugaya kept thinking over and over. He stared at Momo's back. _What am I going to do if he attacks Hinamori? _He reached back and rested his hand on the hilt of Hyourinmaru, ready for anything.

They were led to a rather large room in the middle of the castle. Inside was nothing but a glass statue of a woman in the middle of the room. Around the statue's neck was a chain attached to a tiny crystalline key. As they approached it, suddenly light burst forth from the key and Momo gasped, startling everyone. "What's going on? Where am I?!"

"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "You led us here! Don't you remember?"

She glanced at him, wide-eyed. "No… The last thing I knew was that you were carrying me and the doors opened to the castle. Are we inside the castle right now?"

"_Very_ observant, my little Momo," Aizen's voice echoed throughout the barren room. "Thank you for coming. And thank you, Toshiro, for bringing her to me." He stepped out from behind the statue.

She gasped. Then she pulled away from Toshiro and stood before Aizen. "Please, don't hurt anyone. I'm here now. That's what you wanted, right, Aizen? Do what you want with me, but please, don't hurt anyone else!"

"Hinamori," Toshiro growled. He stepped forward and took Momo by the arm, forcefully pulling her behind him. He glared daggers at the traitor in front of him. "Aizen, just what do you think you're going to do to Hinamori? Haven't you done enough damage?"

A dark smile settled upon Aizen's lips. He reached up and gently tugged at the chain tied around the statue's neck, now holding onto the shining key. "Momo, do you want your memories? Do you want what's rightfully yours? Come here."

Her eyes glazed over and she pulled away from Hitsugaya. "My… memories…"

"Momo! Snap out of it," Toshiro shouted, grabbing her by the arm.

But Momo was being controlled by a power much greater than her own, and easily shook him off. She stumbled slowly over to Aizen and reached up wordlessly, taking hold of the key. The light from the key intensified instantly. It was now so bright everyone had to look away.

An alarm went off inside Hitsugaya's head. "Bankai!" He shouted. Icy wings formed on his shoulders and frost surrounded him. "Aizen! Let her go!" He charged at the former captain, using his fury as the driving force.

Meanwhile, both Ichigo and Renji had both called out their bankai as well. All three simultaneously made to attack Aizen. Hitsugaya tried to strike first, and Aizen sidestepped him. Ichigo second, using his Getsuga Tenshou, to which Aizen pulled his Zanpakuto and blocked it. Renji had come up from behind, ready to strike him with his released Zabimaru, when Aizen used an explosive kido and knocked him back. "Is that all you have? I'm getting bored," he said. Then, Aizen turned to Hinamori. "Let's go, my dear Momo."

"…no…" Hinamori managed. It was difficult to speak. The key held her memories, but it also held a strong will that wasn't her own. She could only assume that it was Aizen's.

"Momo, how long do you intend to fight me?" Aizen said, amusement creeping into his voice.

Toshiro glanced over at his friend in horror. "Momo!?" He couldn't help but notice how pale she'd become, and her eyes spoke of the suffering she was enduring deep within at that very moment. She was fighting an inner battle, and he feared that she was losing. "Damn you, Aizen!" He growled, lunging for him once again.

This time he was blocked by another's Zanpakuto. "Long time no see, Squad 10 captain," Ichimaru Gin said almost too cheerfully.

"Ichimaru!" Hitsugaya shouted, both angry and surprised. With a cry, he unleashed the powerful ice torrent from his Zanpakuto at the former 3rd Squad captain. "Get out of my _way_!"

"'Fraid it just ain't possible. You're stuck with me, it seems."

The younger shinigami's eyes narrowed and he frowned. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Ichimaru," he said in a low, threatening tone. He lunged forward and his Zanpakuto clashed against Gin's. Ice began forming at their feet and soon it was spreading over their blades.

Gin jumped away, knowing better than to stay put while fighting Hitsugaya. If he stood in one place for too long, the boy would no doubt attempt to freeze him solid with his reiatsu. He grinned and sprung forward once again at the captain. "Shoot to death, Shinsou!" His Zanpakuto shot forward, catching Hitsugaya's haori. He used that minor distraction to close the distance between the two and thrust his Zanpakuto sideways in an attempt to impale Hitsugaya.

Just as the blade was about to pierce his side, Hitsugaya moved out of the way and countered, blasting Ichimaru with a tidal wave of ice. "Don't take me lightly," he growled. "You will regret that!"

In the meantime, as Hitsugaya fought Ichimaru, Ichigo and Renji both were taking turns trying to attack Aizen. When they both attacked together, he grinned. "Perhaps I should take you both more seriously. All right, I'll humor you." It was then he released his Zanpakuto, and all hell broke loose.

Ichigo had gone into his hollow form by now. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The blackened spirit energy was headed right for Aizen…

…And Rukia screamed. "_Renji_!"

"I'm… glad you're all right, Rukia…" was all her friend managed before he fell limply to the floor.

"Ichigo! Why?" Rukia asked, tears in her eyes.

He stopped. "I didn't… I was aiming for Aizen…" Ichigo clenched his teeth and turned back to his enemy. "You _bastard_!" He raised Zangetsu once again.

"Are you certain you want to do that?" Aizen asked, the amused smirk still on his face. "If you haven't guessed it already, there is no way that your attacks can touch me now, Kurosaki Ichigo. You're under my Perfect_ Hypnosis_. You will attack anyone I want you to, without even meaning to."

He was interrupted by Momo's quiet voice. "Aizen… these memories… they are not yours…"

"Still resisting my will are you?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Give it up, Momo."

"They're not yours… they're mine… and I won't allow you to hurt anyone else with them!" Suddenly, Momo's spirit energy spiked.

"Momo!" Toshiro shouted, momentarily distracted from his own fight.

She raised her eyes to meet Aizen's. "_Bankai._"

**End of chapter 12.**

**Author's note:** Uh-oh. Don't make Momo angry! XD Well, if you could, please review and let me know how you liked it. I actually hadn't truly planned on this chapter being quite this way, but this is how it turned out. And don't worry, I intend to explain a bit more about what is going on later. That said, have a lovely evening, all!-- Hallie


	13. Tobiume's Warning

**Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.**

**A Quick Word From Me: **Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Everyone who reviewed this time around were KnowledgeandImagination (don't worry, he'll feel Momo's anger XD), Aiedail's Scepter (no, don't die! Keep her alive, Aria!), kRyStAlt3aRz (yep, I hope you like her bankai!), SMILES208 (I swear I haven't read your fanfic! O.o I'd like to now that you've mentioned it though!), Pyrozia (I think of Matsumoto as more of a parental figure than anything, and Hitsugaya, while he tries so hard to grow up, he still displays quite a bit of childish behavior at times), Sonozaki-sama (Aw… I'm sorry for making you cry… *sniffles* but I hope you liked it; I'm addicted to angst if you can't already tell), Kinaia (yes, finally, she might be able to kick some Aizen butt!), foxyaoi123 (yes, and Tobiume makes another appearance later on), cookiedough (is today good enough for updating? ^-^)

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 13: Tobiume's Warning**

_Bankai._ A simple word, really. But it was amazing what one word could do. The entire room went silent for a brief moment, all disbelieving eyes turned to the tiny girl that stood beside Aizen. Her figure disappeared completely in a blinding flash of light.

Hitsugaya found that he had to cover his eyes. When he was finally able to look again, there stood Hinamori. But she was different. She was now dressed in a light pink and white kimono. A light pink sash draped over her shoulders and was attached to the hilt of her Zanpakuto. The blade of it glowed a deep pink color, and a bright red aura surrounded her.

Aizen glowered at the girl. "I thought that you would have been some use to me now, but I see that I made a mistake in not killing you before." He thrust his Zanpakuto at her, only to have her jump out of the way.

She smiled slightly. "Aizen, your hypnosis will no longer work on me. Just as I was connected to you once, you are now connected to me." Her hand lifted to touch the key that rested against her chest. "This key contains not only a part of my soul, but yours as well, doesn't it? It all makes sense now."

"You may think you understand everything, but you don't. Give me the key, if you want to continue living."

"If I were to do that now," Momo started softly, "I would lose everything, wouldn't I? I _would_ rather die."

Her former captain slashed his Zanpakuto in her direction again and again, finally catching her in the arm. He had her cornered, now. She looked up at him, holding her injured appendage. She was terrified, but still glared back up at him defiantly.

"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya used Shunpo and was there in an instant, defending her from what would have been the killing blow, but in doing so, he allowed Aizen an opening. His eyes widened as the blade from Kyoka Suigetsu pierced through his chest. His wings of ice broke apart, the spirit energy that had sustained his bankai fading away. Hitsugaya fought against the blackness that was starting to overcome his vision.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Momo cried. When the blade was pulled out of Hitsugaya's chest, he slumped forward, unable to sustain his own weight any longer. He would have hit the floor if Momo hadn't pulled him into her arms. "Shiro-chan!"

"Momo…" He whispered, barely audible. "Go…"

She felt him go limp in her arms. "No, Toshiro! Stay with me! Answer me!" She pleaded, tears running down her face.

"You can always join him, Momo," Aizen said coldly.

Her brown eyes widened, and she looked up just in time to see him swing at her once again with his Zanpakuto. She met his blade with Tobiume. "No! I'm not going to let Hitsugaya-kun die! I'm not going to let you take my memories away!" The girl got to her feet, standing protectively over her friend, just as he'd done for her so many times before. She glared at her former captain. "I can't believe that I never realized what you truly were before. If I had known…" Her grip tightened on her sword's hilt. "Tobiume!" She screamed, swinging her sword in his direction. A sudden gust of wind flew from her sword, sending along glowing blossoms with it.

When they made contact with Aizen, the stray petals exploded against him, knocking him back. "Momo, you're making a big mistake," he spoke warningly.

Glancing down at Toshiro, Momo closed her eyes. "No, I'm not, Aizen. The only mistake I ever made was listening to you for as long as I did." The key began to glow, and suddenly everything around her went hazy.

"What's going on!?" She heard Ichigo exclaim.

"Ichigo!" Rukia was calling although it sounded like it was far away. The voices around her kept fading and fading.

Momo reached down to try to grab onto Toshiro, but she gasped when she realized that she couldn't move. _What's happening? Am I dreaming?_

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_The young woman was settled beneath a tree. Beautiful blossoms flew around her, carried by the gentle breeze. She leaned her head back against the tree, allowing a tiny contented smile to grace her lips. "It feels so nice."_

"_Yes. You finally know who you are. But are you happy?"_

"_Of course I am, Tobiume!" She glanced up and saw another young girl, dressed in a familiar white and pink kimono, and patted the ground for her to sit beside her._

"_If you're happy, I'm glad. But, do you really want everything to end this way? As things are now, it's far from over. You finally remember who you are. Everything may seem all right and you may not feel like it, but don't be fooled. That key is going to kill you, Momo."_

_Momo's smile fell. "What am I supposed to do? I can't lose the key or I'll lose myself. If I keep the key that holds all of my memories, you say that it will kill me. What would you have me do, Tobiume?"_

"_Destroy the key, Momo. That's the only way that you'll live."_

"_But if I do that, all of my memories will…"_

"_You may recover them someday," Tobiume returned._

"_But what if I don't?" Momo countered._

_Smiling gently, Tobiume responded, "You still have Toshiro. He promised that he would never let you forget."_

_Hugging herself, Momo looked away. "But he and I… I ruined that, Tobiume. I destroyed our friendship and our love…"_

"_It takes more than a simple misunderstanding to break the bonds of true love, Momo. Please, that key is pure evil. Destroy it, and free your memories from Aizen's grasp."_

"_If I ever forgot Toshiro… I could never forgive myself, Tobiume," Momo said softly. "So, I'm going to keep my memories of him. I'll die with no regrets."_

"_If… that's what you truly wish, Momo," Tobiume sighed sadly._

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Momo bolted upright. "Where… am I?"

"Oh, Hinamori-san! You're awake!" Ururu exclaimed. "I'm glad."

"Ururu-chan… we're in the world of the living? Where is everyone else? Where's… Toshiro?" She asked, slightly afraid to hear the answer.

"When we found you all, everyone had passed out. Hitsugaya-taicho was near death. Inoue-san has been working on him ever since we found you all. Well, both him and the Moocher."

"The… Moocher?" Momo parroted.

The little girl nodded. "Yes, Renji."

Despite the situation, Momo giggled softly. "Is Renji all right?" She asked, sobering up.

"He will be fine. He's asleep now."

Swallowing hard, Momo asked, "And what about… Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Did you want to see him?"

Did she? Of course she did, but… She was terrified, truth be told. Nodding slightly, she followed the younger girl into one of the guest rooms. There inside, was Orihime, kneeling over Toshiro's still form. "H-Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Oh, Hinamori-san!" Orihime looked up at Momo, putting a bright smile on her face. "Toshiro-kun isn't awake yet, but he'll wake up soon. He's really strong, you know?"

Almost as if she hadn't heard her, Momo stumbled past her. "Hitsugaya…kun…"

"Hinamori-san?" Orihime reached out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Inoue-san…" Momo managed a smile. "Thank you for saving him."

Smiling, she stood. "Of course. I was just checking up on him. Would you like me to step out for a moment?"

"You don't have to," Momo answered.

"No, it's okay, really. Toshiro-kun is just resting. It's like nothing ever happened to him, I promise!" With a cheery wink, Orihime left the room.

Alone now, the raven-haired girl clasped her hands together and knelt down by her friend's side. "Toshiro… what am I supposed to do?" She asked weakly. "Will you ever forgive me? I would have done anything to keep you alive. I didn't leave because of Aizen. I left because I love you!" She broke down, tears streaming down her face and falling freely, landing on his arm. Unbeknownst to Momo, his hand twitched under the wetness of her tears, but she continued speaking. "I love you, Shiro-chan… You may hate me but that's all right. It's no more than I hate myself!"

"Ngggh… Baka…" Her eyes widened and she looked up at him just in time to see his beautiful aqua eyes open.

"Shiro-chan!" She gasped, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I don't hate you," he mumbled, struggling to lift a hand to her cheek. "I never did." Toshiro's hand settled gently on her cheek. "I don't ever want to hear you talking about yourself like that, either," he said, the seriousness of his words present in his gaze as well. "I did read that letter, after all. You should have nothing to regret, Momo."

"B-but I… I'm a horrible friend! How can you say you don't hate me after everything I've done to you?!"

"You know why, Hinamori. Use your head for once," he said, knocking his knuckles lightly against her forehead. "You're not a bad friend. You never were. You're just so trusting and naïve, but I like that about you, too. After all, if you weren't, you would have been afraid of me just like everyone else," Hitsugaya finished.

"Can you forgive me… Hitsugaya-ku…_taicho_?" She caught herself this time.

"I suppose, Bed Wetter. And one more thing."

"What?"

"When we're alone, it's Hitsugaya-kun." He nearly jumped when Momo collapsed against him, crying silently. "Oy, oy, what's wrong with you _now_?"

"Nothing, Shiro-chan… I'm just so happy that you're all right…"

"You've got a really strange way of showing it," Hitsugaya grumbled good-naturedly as he wrapped his arms around her shaking frame and pulled her closer.

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It was several days later, and everyone had made a full recovery thanks to Orihime. It was night time, and Momo stood outside, staring blankly at the moon. She shivered slightly, folding her arms around herself in an attempt to retain some body heat. It was autumn, so it was beginning to frost over outside.

An exasperated sigh and a warm captain's haori suddenly draped over her shoulders alerted her to Toshiro's presence. "If you're cold, go inside, baka."

"It's too stuffy in there, Hitsugaya-kun," she said softly. Then, she turned to him. "How did your meeting with Unohana-taicho go?"

He grunted. "She wants to talk to _you_, actually. Later, of course," he added when he noticed her make a move to leave. "Anyway, they are going to need a report on what happened in Hueco Mundo, and since I'm the one reporting, I'm going to need to interrogate you about some of it. So…" He trailed off, staring questioningly at the girl beside him.

"I really don't know everything myself," she admitted. "I take that back. I don't know anything. But I'll do my best to answer you. I promise, Hitsugaya-kun." Her eyes held a sadness to them; almost like a resignation. To what, Hitsugaya could only wish he knew.

"Momo," he started gently. "Are you still in pain?"

To this she smiled. "Of course not! I feel wonderful! I'm so happy that I finally remember everything. The good…" Her smile faded. "…and bad, of course. I'm so sorry, Shiro-chan. That night that I ran off to try and attack Aizen, I was just so upset." She hung her head and gripped the edges of his haori, pulling it tighter around herself. "You were hurt again… I kept wondering why…" She looked back up at her childhood friend, her eyes begging him to answer what she was having a hard time asking.

"Why… what?" He stared back, slightly confused at her behavior.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, and immediately he found himself regretting not figuring out what she'd wanted from him. "Why didn't you tell me that Aizen nearly killed you? I could have realized sooner… and… I never would have been so stupid maybe, to ask of you what I did…" She trembled, struggling not to cry. She'd been doing that a lot lately. It was extremely difficult working through all of her jumbled emotions, especially when it felt as though she were experiencing most of them for the first time. All the hurt, confusion, anger… love. Everything was so new to her, yet she'd realized that it had been there all along.

"Momo…" Toshiro reached over to her, hesitating at first. It had been some time since she'd left him. Even though they had reconciled, at times it was still quite awkward between them. He wasn't one to express his feelings very openly anyway, and this new territory that he'd entered was very uncomfortable, to say the least. Shaking his head slightly, he leaned forward, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "It's all right," he whispered. "You didn't know. You trusted him. We all did. You're not to blame, so stop punishing yourself over something that you couldn't have known."

The next thing she said bothered him, but for some reason, he couldn't quite figure out why at that moment. It just gave him a sense of foreboding. "Hitsugaya-kun, I'm so glad to have met you. Now… I know that I would much rather die than ever forget you…" Before he could question her about it, she looked up and met his gaze, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss.

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_He realized that he was dreaming the moment he opened his eyes and took in the frosted plains surrounding him. "Hyourinmaru…"_

"_Boy, what do you fear, more than anything else?"_

_Hitsugaya frowned. "What do you mean?"_

_The giant dragon of ice appeared before him. "I've heard of one who fears forgetting about you, even more than her own death. And you fear a life without her. A future in which she is no longer with you."_

"_Hinamori? Is it about what she said?"_

"_Not only what _she _spoke of, boy. I come bearing a word of warning."_

_Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. "Warning? From what?" He demanded._

"_I have heard Tobiume's cry for help. The girl is hiding something from you. Be very careful, or you're going to lose her forever."_

_The wind started to pick up, the being in front of him disappearing in a swirling of snow. "Wait!" Hitsugaya shouted after him. "What do you mean?!"_

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Hitsugaya Toshiro woke up in a cold sweat. "What was that?" He stood, making his way into the other room to check on Hinamori. Breathing a sigh of relief when he saw her sleeping contentedly on her futon, he returned to his own room and lay back. _Hyourinmaru, is Hinamori really in danger? _He silently wondered. Receiving no reply, he lay there for what seemed like hours until he found his eyelids slowly drooping, and sleep finally overtook him once again.

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"Shiro-chan, you sleepyhead! Wake up!" Momo giggled as she poked him playfully in the cheek.

Opening an eye, Toshiro glared up at her irritably. "Go away," he muttered, turning to face away from her and that annoying sunlight.

"What's wrong, Hitsugaya-kun?" She asked innocently. "Not sleep well?"

The boy captain sighed and sat up. "You could say that." He stared at his friend before him. She was smiling brightly and had a lively air about her. Maybe that dream _was_ just a dream. He frowned. _No, that was Hyourinmaru. There is something wrong. Something doesn't feel right._

Hinamori noticed the scowl on Hitsugaya's face and her own smile faded. "Hitsugaya-kun, what's the matter?"

"Are you all right?" He asked seriously.

Her expression showed her surprise for a moment, before she smiled again. "Of course I'm all right," she answered with a chuckle. "I'm just fine, why?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." _If she isn't going to tell me, then I'll have to find out what's going on myself. _His gaze fell on the key resting against her chest. "I'm going to get a hold of the Soul Society today. We'll most likely be sent back there. You should finish whatever needs to be done here before we depart, got it?"

"Hai," she replied softly. "I'll go do that, then." Momo stood up and left.

Hitsugaya himself stood and sighed. _Hinamori is going to hate me for this, but if it saves her…_ He activated the screen in Orihime's living room, and once someone answered his call, he'd asked to speak to the head of research.

"I'm a very busy person, you know," Mayuri snapped as he appeared on the screen. "This had better be good!"

"Actually, when we get back there, I was wondering if you'd be able to look at something for me," Hitsugaya started carefully.

"And what would that be, boy?"

"Hinamori came into possession of what I believe is the main cause of the anomalies in Hueco Mundo. After she came into contact with the item, she regained all of her memories, and seems stronger than ever, but, I don't know if this is good for her."

"And of what benefit would this be to me?" The 12th captain raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't it help you to study the connection between Hinamori and Hueco Mundo?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Hmm… I suppose. But I thought that you were opposed to having me examine the girl," he said, a sly smirk appearing on his face.

Hitsugaya's teal eyes narrowed. "I still am, make no mistake. Are you going to do it or not?"

"I am a _very _busy man after all," Mayuri responded. "I will have to assess the importance of the matter myself and get back to you shortly." He ended the transmission before Hitsugaya could even add anything else.

The young captain stood there fuming for a few minutes when the screen came on once again. "_What_?" He snapped, glaring at the person on the screen. When he realized the person now facing him on the screen _wasn't _the Squad 12 captain, his eyes widened in surprise. "My apologies, Unohana-taicho."

She smiled. "Having a rough day?" She asked teasingly. Then, her face turned serious. "I am here to relay a message. You both are to return to Soul Society."

"As I thought," he replied.

She nodded. "And Kurotsuchi just informed me that you had asked him to check over Hinamori-kun. Is something the matter?"

"It's… just… I have a feeling that something isn't right," Hitsugaya answered softly. "Would you permit him to observe her for awhile?"

She nodded. "But I would like to look her over myself first."

"All right. We'll be there shortly, and I'll escort Hinamori over there personally," Hitsugaya promised.

"I shall see you both then." Unohana gave a slight nod before she bid him goodbye. "Take care on your way back."

"Hai, arigato," he murmured, reaching up and ending the transmission. With a sigh, Hitsugaya turned and began to pack his things.

"Toshiro-kun!"

"Inoue, we've been called back to the Soul Society."

The young woman knelt down beside him and began helping him with packing his things. "I see…"

"It's all right, you don't have to help me," he said, taking his things from Orihime.

She giggled nervously. "Oh, gomen ne."

"You don't need to apologize, either. Actually, thank you, Inoue." He smiled slightly. "You've really helped us more than you know."

The girl blushed. "Oh, no, not really. It's just, you're all my friends. Of course I would help you out! I wish I could have done more, actually. I'm going to miss you both…"

"It's not like we'll be gone forever," the captain said with a roll of his eyes. "With how much trouble Kurosaki finds we're bound to be sent back here."

"Hitsugaya-kun, that's not very nice," Momo chided playfully, having overheard him upon returning.

"Are you done?" He asked her. "We're going to return to Soul Society. I just spoke with Unohana-taicho. She wants to check up on you, too." Hitsugaya neglected mentioning about Kurotsuchi, feeling slightly guilty about going behind her back about it. He normally would never have even considered it, but that dream and talk with Hyourinmaru had shaken him up more than even he cared to admit.

So they said their goodbyes to everyone, and as they passed through the gate to the Soul Society, Momo glanced at Toshiro. "Are you all right, Shiro-chan?"

"Fine." They made it to Soul Society after a few more silent moments between them. _I'm just hoping that you'll forgive me after today ends._

**End of chapter 13.**

**Authors Note: **And I'm hoping your guys will forgive me after reading this chapter. Ugh. Writer's block back in full and it took forever for me to write this piece of… You know how it is when you know what's happened, and what is going to happen, but yet you are having trouble with the here and now? Well, that's where I am right now. I am terribly sorry, but it may take me longer to get the next chapter out. I'll still do my best though. Please review and tell me how you liked this chapter, although, I'm not expecting that much praise for this one, since I'm not too proud of it myself. If we can only suffer through a bit more it'll get real good again. I can't wait myself until I can start writing the last chapters! Well, take care for now!-- Hallie


	14. Facing the Truth

Summary: In an attempt to confront Aizen, Hinamori Momo's memory is stolen from her… Except her memories of Hitsugaya Toshiro. It's difficult not knowing who you are. "Shiro-chan, I can't remember… I don't know who I am, but I know that I must have loved you."

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

**A quick word from me:** I am so sorry that I kept you all waiting so long, and that was not my intention at all! *Gets on knees and begs for forgiveness* Thank you, though, for your reviews. They've motivated me throughout the craziness right now. A special thanks to KnowledgeandImagination (1st to review again ^-^), Aiedail's Scepter (Momo isn't getting much smarter in this chapter I'm afraid), Sonozaki-sama (I'm so sorry to make you wait so long!), kRyStAlt3aRz (thank you!), Snowflakessy (long story short: Momo destroys it, she lives but loses her memory. If she doesn't, she dies, her memory intact), CallieTorresFan (sorry again about that…), Colorless Wind (Aosugiru Sora now I see), Zeldafreak17 (Finally Updated…), hitsuhinaeva (hitsu4hinaeva, I do appreciate you reviewing, I swear!!!!), and Kinaia (your sweet review made me realize how long I'd left this story without updating and I felt totally bad…) Again, I can't apologize enough. Okay, enough with that. Onto chapter 14.

**Memories of Shiro-chan**

**Chapter 14: Facing the Truth**

"Hello to the both of you," the 4th Squad captain welcomed the two into her office with a warm smile. "I'm pleased to see that the both of you returned safely. I would like to examine you each individually myself, just to be sure, all right?"

The younger captain nodded. "Hinamori, you first. I'll wait here, and then go in after you."

Glancing at her childhood friend, Hinamori gave in. "Oh, all right," she agreed with a sigh. "But don't think you're getting away without your own examination, Shiro-chan!" She threatened.

"Now, now, Hinamori, he knows better than that, don't you, Hitsugaya-taicho?" She said, this time in her no-nonsense tone. No one who knew what was good for them argued with her when she used that tone.

"I'll be right here," Hitsugaya answered, crossing his arms and turning away to stare out the window.

Sighing, Momo followed the leader of the healing division into the office. She sat there as Unohana checked her over.

It was silent for quite some time until finally Unohana broke through the quiet. "All right, you're done. Everything is normal… for the most part. Except for that key is sending out some strange reiatsu, and I don't like it. Hitsugaya-taicho was right. It looks like you're going to have to pay a visit to Kurotsuchi-taicho once again…"

Hinamori's eyes widened. "You mean, Hitsugaya-kun and you both are going to send me over there? _Why?_ I hate it there!"

The captain of the 4th Division frowned. "Neither of us like it either. But, well, Kurotsuchi is your best chance to figure out what is wrong and fix it before something worse happens. That reiatsu could eventually be dangerous to your health, Hinamori-kun."

The girl shook her head violently. "I'm not going back there." She stood, clenching her fists. "I'm telling that to Hitsugaya-kun right now as well!" Momo stormed out of Unohana's office and stood before her childhood friend. "How could you, Toshiro!? Do you have any idea of what he did to me before?!"

He regarded her coolly, then answered her. "Then tell me what's wrong, Momo. And don't _lie_."

Tears filled her eyes. "Nothing is wrong, Hitsugaya-kun! Why can't you believe me?"

"Maybe because you've had a hobby as of late to lie constantly to me and I don't quite trust what you say anymore, Hinamori," he returned harshly. "I'll trust anything you have to say after this if you go."

"I hate that place, and I'm _not_ going!" She used Shunpo and disappeared.

He shot to his feet and sped after her, using Shunpo as well and managing to catch up to her in moments near the training grounds. Hitsugaya grabbed onto her arm, forcing her to stop. "I don't want to have to force you into going, but I will if I must."

"No!" Hinamori tried to pull away, but to no avail.

Both of his hands were on her shoulders now. "Momo, then tell me the truth. Something is wrong, right?"

She was trapped. Either way, Hitsugaya was going to find out. So either she could tell him the truth right then and there, and he wouldn't be so angry with her, or he would find out after long torturous hours with the 12th Division's research captain, and be furious with her for lying. "H-how could you tell?" Momo asked quietly.

"We've been together for years, Hinamori. I'm insulted that you would think that I _wouldn't_ be able to notice something wrong." Hitsugaya looked up at her face. He knew without a doubt now, that Momo wasn't as okay as she'd led him to believe before. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"If I live, I'm going to forget everything, including you this time… But if I die, I won't hurt you by forgetting you, Hitsugaya-kun. I don't want to forget. I would rather die than forget you!" She clasped her hands together over the key that rested against her chest. "I-I don't know what to do, Shiro-chan!" She cried. "I really don't!"

"Oy! Slow down! Why do you think that you're going to die?" He asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Tobiume, she told me. This key holds my memories… but… she said it's going to kill me for some reason. Eventually. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but sooner than later."

"Then we're getting rid of it," Hitsugaya said simply, reaching forward to take the key away from her.

She leapt back. "No! I can't hurt you again by forgetting you! I've already hurt you so much, Shiro-chan… I love you. I'd rather die than forget that!"

"Baka! Do you think that I'll be happy to have you die, then? I don't care if you forget, Bed Wetter! It's your _life_ I'm concerned about, here. You and I can stay together if you live. You can even make new memories. But if you die, that's when everything ends!"

Momo leaned forward and rested her cheek on his shoulder. "Hitsugaya-kun, I'm afraid… I'm scared. I… I don't want to go through that again!" She shuddered, causing him to put comforting arms around her shoulders. "And I can't stand the thought of hurting you because of it!"

"It won't hurt me," he whispered in her ear. "Want to know why? Because of what you just told me now. I know you don't want to forget me or anything else, but I'll stay beside you and help you remember for the rest of our lives if need be."

"B-but I…"

"I'll be there for you, Momo. That's a promise." He pulled back. "We should head down there. I'll go with you to the 12th Division."

She wrinkled her nose. "I thought you said that I wouldn't have to go."

"Even you don't know exactly what is happening to you. Don't worry, I won't allow him to do anything without me there."

The raven-haired girl gazed at him with wide eyes. "You promise, Shiro-chan?"

"I promise, Bed Wetter," he answered, keeping an arm around her shoulder and leading her over to the Research Division.

"Then afterwards, you're going to go get your physical with Unohana-taicho," Momo ordered softly. "No fair that I had to get all of this done, and you get to skip your physical."

The silver-haired captain sighed. "Yes, I will. Right afterward, all right?"

Hinamori nodded, satisfied. "All right…" She followed him down to the 12th Division. She felt the uneasiness from her stay before slowly creep up on her and she scooted closer to Hitsugaya for reassurance.

In turn, he took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Silently, they walked side by side until finally they made it to the 12th Division. Hitsugaya opened the doors and stepped inside, pulling Hinamori along with him.

"Oh, you're here. I should let Mayuri-sama know," Nemu said softly in greeting. "Please wait just a moment."

"No need, my dear Nemu," he interrupted, stepping out from one of the doorways.

Momo jumped and hid behind Toshiro, squeezing her eyes shut. Toshiro caught her actions and glared up at Mayuri. "This time, if you're going to be doing any tests, she wants me with her," he informed him coldly.

"I work best alone," the researcher snapped back, but sighed in defeat. "I suppose I'll allow it this once. I would like for the test subject to cooperate with me."

Hitsugaya bit his tongue. He wanted to say something, anything, to defend Hinamori's honor and yell at the other captain for simply referring to her as a 'test subject' but managed to keep his mouth shut. He figured that the other captain probably wouldn't put up well with his shouting, and they needed to find out more about what was happening to Momo. "I won't be in the way," he muttered.

"Good. Now, Momo dear, come here," Kurotsuchi said, beckoning the girl to him with a little crook of his finger.

She obediently stepped out from behind Hitsugaya, glancing to him helplessly as she passed him to approach Mayuri. "All right," she murmured, her head bowed.

"Please, Hinamori-san, don't worry," Nemu spoke soothingly. "You won't feel a thing. Just lie down here and relax." She led Momo over to the bed and had her lay back.

"I won't protest this time. Please, don't strap me down," Momo begged.

The Head of Research raised an eyebrow at her, lifting a hand that held a needle and syringe. "All right, then I'll need your full cooperation, Momo," he said.

She swallowed hard, but held her arm out to him, allowing him to inject her with the shot. Moments later, she was out.

Hitsugaya sat opposite of Kurotsuchi with his arms folded. "What is it?"

"We're keeping that key," Mayuri said simply.

"She's dying!" The boy captain shouted. "If we keep that key she _will_ die!"

"Yes, most likely," the elder captain returned. "But I have analyzed the key, and I found that not only does a vital part of Hinamori's spirit energy exist within it, but also a great portion of Aizen's. You know what that means." It wasn't a question.

Understanding dawned on Hitsugaya's face. "It means that Aizen, as he is now, is as vulnerable as Hinamori." He was quiet a moment as he thought this over. He spoke up after a moment. "But what about Momo? As she is now…"

"Since you seem to care so much, then we'd best start planning our offensive strategy," Mayuri snapped. "It won't kill her so soon. It's going to take some time. And we need her to win, don't doubt that for a second. She is directly linked with Aizen, after all. They are both tied to that key, and whoever is in possession of the key has the upper hand. However, whoever has possession of the key also runs the risk of the key overtaking them, thus resulting in their own demise. She will link with the key and become one with it. Becoming the one true 'Boundary Key'. If that happens, we will have no choice but to destroy her. I believe this is what Aizen wished to accomplish while using her in the first place," he explained, as if he were speaking to an ignorant child.

The younger captain nodded. "I understand. So that's what Tobiume must have been talking about. But then, say we're able to defeat Aizen. Will destroying the key really solve everything?"

"That's what we're going to have to find out for ourselves," Mayuri answered. "At the very least, she will stop resonating with both the key and Hueco Mundo, even if her memory loss is permanent. She will at least be allowed to live. If not, she will become a dangerous entity. One that will have lost itself completely, and its only reason for existence will be the destruction of the worlds. That is what the key to the boundary is. It opens the door to millions of separate worlds, dimensions, and even timelines. Ones that are never meant to come into contact with each other. In doing so, the balance is interrupted, and the worlds will be thrown into chaos, and eventually destruction. Imagine what would happen if all of this were to become Hueco Mundo… The only world that could possibly survive this whole mess would be Hueco Mundo, since it thrives on negative energy and chaos."

Hearing enough, Hitsugaya stood. "I'm not going to allow that to happen," he declared.

"Where are you going, boy? Didn't you promise to stay here with the girl?"

"I did, but… some things are more important than promises. If what you say is true, then we don't have much time to waste, do we?" He turned to Nemu. "Give my apologies to Momo. When you both are finished, send her to my division. I'll meet up with her there. But we're going to have to call an emergency meeting on this."

The other captain stood and nodded to Nemu. "There is one other thing I can't stress enough. We need that _key_. Not only is Aizen weaker without it, but we can use it against him as well."

The boy nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Kurotsuchi." He turned and rushed out, headed for the First Division.

_Voices… I hear voices._ Momo opened an eye slowly.

"Oh, good. You're awake," Nemu said, reaching forward and helping her up. "Please, hurry, and come with me. We don't have much time to lose."

"What… is going on?" Momo asked slowly. "Hitsugaya-kun!" Her eyes widened, and then a look of hurt crossed her expression when she realized that he wasn't there. "He promised…"

"He was called away for a conference. You are to join him as soon as possible," Nemu explained gently. "It wasn't his wish to leave you. Please, we must hurry." She ushered Momo down the hallways.

The dazed girl simply followed wordlessly until the rest of the effects from whatever the captain of the 12th Division had given her had worn off. They reached Hitsugaya's office, only to find it empty. "I thought Hitsugaya-kun was supposed to be here," Momo said, turning to Nemu.

"Perhaps he hasn't finished with that conference as of yet." The other woman turned to leave. "It would be best for you to wait here. He will be along shortly." She left without another word.

The young girl sighed and sat down in one of the office chairs dejectedly. _Why didn't he stay with me…? I know he was probably called away for something important, but why do I feel so hurt?_

"Hinamori…" His voice startled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see him. "I'm sorry that I had to leave so suddenly before."

She shook her head. "It's all right, Hitsugaya-kun, you don't have to explain yourself." The tone in her voice showed that she was upset, however, and was silently demanding an explanation.

"I had to meet with the head captain," he said suddenly. "We're planning an all-out attack on Hueco Mundo. With what we have, we're confident that we can defeat him."

"With what you have?" Momo parroted. "What do you mean, Shiro-chan?"

"I spoke with Kurotsuchi and that crystal key you have there holds immense power. It actually holds the majority of Aizen's power, meaning that it's in your hands, Hinamori," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to have to come with me. I don't like it… but it's the only way."

A smile graced her lips. "I get to stay by your side, right?" She asked.

A nod. "Yes. We're leading the attack. Together." His cheeks tinted slightly pink with a blush, but then it faded and he turned to her, placing his other hand on her other shoulder. "But afterwards… Momo, afterward, you have to promise me that we're getting rid of that thing." His eyes trailed down to the key. "We have to hurry to defeat Aizen and put a stop to his plans… or it'll be too late for you." His eyes narrowed and his grip on her shoulders tightened. "I'm not going to lose you."

"I don't want to forget you, Hitsugaya-kun. I'm frightened," she whispered, breaking the eye contact.

"I'll be right here by your side, helping you. Why isn't that enough?" He asked quietly. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do! But I don't want it to hurt you anymore!" Momo cried.

"Promise me, Momo. If you die, that's when I won't be able to take it. That's when it'll hurt. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters to me. We can take one step at a time from there." His teal eyes searched hers for an answer, she saw. Begging, pleading with her from within their depths.

"You'll stay with me…?" She asked finally.

"Of course!"

Her brown eyes were blank for a moment, then she smiled. "Then, I promise, Toshiro." _Please, forgive me…_

As the preparations for the raid were being made, all of the leaders of the mission were given a couple of days to prepare. Momo and Toshiro had spent most of their free time together. They both had recovered from all their prior injuries, and they were trying to rebuild their uncertain relationship.

When Momo had left Toshiro, they had finally acknowledged and shared their feelings for the other. They had finally taken the big step forward. And Momo had thought by leaving that she had ruined everything. She was thankful for Toshiro's forgiveness. Part of Momo feared the battle with Aizen. Not because of the battle, but what would transpire afterwards. Toshiro was trusting her to not run away, but to hand over the Boundary Key and destroy it. But in doing so, Momo knew she was going to lose all of her memories of everything. If she forgot Toshiro, she knew without a doubt that he would be hurt far worse than ever before. How wouldn't he be? To have the one person he loved more than anything forget that he even existed, and not return his love? How would that _not_ be miserable for him?

If she could die loving him, at least he could take comfort in the fact that she actually remembered and loved him to her dying breath… She let out a sigh and gazed out across the buildings of the Seiretei, leaning over the railing.

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you not to frown like that? Your face will freeze that way, you know," Toshiro teased.

Smirking back, his childhood friend retorted, "Really, Shiro-chan? Are you speaking from past experience or something? It wouldn't surprise me if that's what happened to _you._"

Dropping the light conversation, the young captain turned serious, following Momo's stare out to the horizon. "We're leaving tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"Even if I wasn't ready, it's not like we have a choice to stop this," the dark-haired lieutenant replied quietly.

Captain Hitsugaya eyed her worriedly. "Are you saying you aren't prepared?"

"I really don't know, Toshiro," she answered, eyes falling to her feet. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Momo," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you're still unsure, it just means that I'll have to work harder to make things easier for you. I will. That's a promise."

"Toshiro…" Tears threatened to spill.

His aqua eyes widened with concern. "Momo, is something wrong?" He leaned forward, inspecting her. "Are you in pain? Is it _that_?" He indicated the key resting on her chest. He thought he sensed a warning spike in her reiatsu, but perhaps he was mistaken.

Hinamori shook her head, and the first tear finally fell, followed by another, and another. "It isn't that… Don't worry about me. You always worry about me. You're always putting yourself in harm's way, and thinking of me first. Toshiro… you're the best friend I've ever had, but… I don't deserve someone like you…" She brought her hands up, covering her face as she wept. _Especially not with what I'm about to do to you…_

Warm arms went around her and she lowered her hands, opening her eyes only to see that she was resting against a captain's haori. Meekly, Momo turned her watery gaze upwards only to see his intense icy emerald stare upon her. "Baka. I'm doing this because I want to. This means something to me. Understand? Don't make me repeat myself."

"H-hai…" A couple more tears fell when Momo squeezed her eyes shut, and she gripped his haori. "Arigato… Shiro-chan… for everything. You've done more for me than you'll ever know, and more than I can even hope to try to repay."

The boy captain knew that he wasn't very good with emotions. He was proficient with logic, numbers and battle strategy. He also knew that Momo was completely the opposite, and that she operated almost completely by her emotions. But nonetheless Hitsugaya Toshiro would do anything for Hinamori Momo. If she needed him to show some emotion to her, he would try. He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her forehead, and tightened his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Momo… This isn't about repaying something. We're together. We're facing everything from now on as one whole, right? That's all that matters." He whispered into her ear.

Hinamori would have responded, but she gasped and held a hand up to her chest. Her knees buckled beneath her and her entire weight fell against Toshiro. "Shiro-chan… sorry… it's back…" Was all she managed before the pain took over and unconsciousness claimed her once again.

Hitsugaya caught her and lifted her in his arms. He'd noticed that these attacks that she'd been having were getting more and more frequent. And he'd begun to notice that just moments before the attacks, her reiatsu level would change drastically. He frowned. _There's no more time. Momo's getting sicker. We have to finish with Aizen and fast. That's the only hope Momo has left to live._ He thought as he carried her back to Squad 4. This only served to strengthen his resolve. He would kill Aizen. No mistakes. Hitsugaya couldn't afford to think of any possible mistakes. _Momo's counting on me to live. I can't… I _won't_ let her down!_

**Author's Note: **I swear that I am not dead. I haven't been online too much. Wow… so much has happened to me in these past few months… I swear in all the confusion I never forgot any one of you. *Hugs* I only hope that this sort of makes up for the long wait. My writing is a little rusty, I'm afraid, but I'm working on it, so please bear with me! The reviews you guys all gave me actually kept me going. I did say in the beginning that the updates would be sporadic, but even then I didn't realize that I would be moving, changing jobs and dealing with a seriously ill family member. I will try to do better though. That's a promise. Even if it takes a little bit to get a chapter out, I promise that I won't quit so please don't give up on me, okay? --Hallie


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